What Lies Ahead
by Quick-n-Popular
Summary: Two Soul Reapers, one journey. After a horrifying incident involving a Hollow, Ichigo is left with wondering where and what he should do next. Rukia, meanwhile, similarly, reevaluates her life. IchiRuki. Please R&R.
1. What the rain brings

**What lies ahead**

by Quick-n-Popular

Disclaimer and Author's Note: I do not own Bleach, so there. I imagine that this chapter may be riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, while some I'll catch others I may not. Please disregard the errors and enjoy the content. This story takes place after the Soul Society Arc.

Chapter One: What the rain brings with it

"Ichigo?"

It was a dark, wet, night. The rain seemed to be endless. With it came several veils of memories that accompanied them; some pleasant, others hurtful.

"Ichigo?"

Every time it rained, there always seemed to be an ominous tone to it.

"HEY! KUROSAKI! SNAP OUT OF IT!!"

Ichigo Kurosaki, age twenty, substitute Soul Reaper; was now being scowled at by his reluctant partner, Renji Abarai. The tall, orange-haired Ichigo sighed as he got up off his perch of the rooftop and turned to his partner.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

Renji scratched the side of his head. "What's with you, Kurosaki? You seem to do this every time it rains. What's with you and the rain, anyway?"

Ichigo looked away, sighing. "The rain doesn't always bring water."

Ichigo and Renji have been out for hours. The pack of Hollows they've been following for the past few days have been, surprisingly, elusive. New reports had come a couple of weeks ago came into the Soul Society about a pack of Hollows wrecking havoc in Ichigo's hometown. Renji Abarai was sent to meet with Ichigo and with him was orders by both Captains Byakuya Kuchiki and Jushiro Uktiake that Ichigo and Renji were to work together tracking down the pack of Hollows. Ukitake, whom Ichigo had grown to respect and like, had, unofficially, become his superior. Normally Ichigo would have had a problem with the idea of being supervised by anyone other than Rukia, but, again, he liked the guy.

As Ichigo and Renji continued their surveillance of the north square, where the last report of the pack was sighted, Ichigo's thoughts came quickly to that of Rukia. It's been five long years since Rukia had made her resolve to remain with the Soul Society and not to return with Ichigo and his friends to the Human World. Ichigo remembered feeling half hurt and half content about Rukia's decision. He HAD accomplished his goal of saving her, yet she still wouldn't be coming back with him, and that hurt. Over the past couple of years, Ichigo tried desperately to get in contact with her, but to no avail. Renji told him that Rukia's duties had her kept away, that and she was currently prohibited from reentering the Human World as a new consensus was made regarding punishment for giving Ichigo her Shingami powers. Unfortunately, the end date of her suspension hasn't been decided still.

Ichigo wondered to himself, often, if he has ever entered her mind, over these past couple of years, as she did his.

"Kurosaki, look!"

Renji's words snapped Ichigo out of his thoughts and he looked on ahead, and sure enough, there was the pack of Hollows they've been searching for.

* * *

"Of all the stupid, idiotic…"

The third-year Shingami blushed as she quickly went to the floor to dry up the mop water that had spilt and, unfortunately, soaked the Shihakushou of Rukia Kuchiki; the third-year looked up slowly, realizing the latter of her mishap. She looked cautiously into the stern face of Kuchiki's, not knowing what sort of punishment the senior Shingami would give her.

At first it was as if Rukia hadn't noticed what had happened, then her eyes slowly looked down at her slightly wet garments. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Do be more careful."

The third-year nodded and got out of her way as Rukia continued on. She went to the window of the small, one-storied, house that was in the middle of nowhere. This was both her punishment and new assignment from the Soul Society regarding her having given the human, Ichigo Kurosaki, her Soul Reaper powers. She was instructed to watch this area, which had been reported to be the "hot spot" for Hollows to come into the Human World from Hueco Mundo. So far, that report seemed to be erroneous, at least in the time Rukia, and the handful of newbie Shingami, have been here at this out post. They've been here for little over five years with not even one sighting of a Hollow.

Rukia sighed to herself. She fully understood the reason for giving her this kind of crap assignment and yet a side of her was tired and wanted to see action again. It felt like a decade since she had felt the familiar sense of the spiritual-adrenaline rush she got when she was alone out on the field, hunting, using her honed instincts.

It has been awhile. The last time she remembered feeling those liberating feelings was when she was back in the Human World. Back there with Ichigo.

However, it wasn't all as invigorating as Ichigo had her power at the time and her involvment with the actual slaughtering and eradication of the Hollows was limited.

Rukia, looking out the window allowed a soft smile.

_Then again, I felt it all through him._ She thought to herself. _Felt it through his eyes, his passion, and his annoying sense of utter determination. In a way, I WAS still a Soul Reaper, through Ichigo. _

Saying his name in her head, accompanied by random images she had remembered of him, caused Rukia Kuchiki to look down at the floor in sadness. There was a lot that she missed and added another reason why this assignment was a crap assignment.

* * *

Zangetsu whistled in the air as it sliced through the Hollow's head, like a hot knife through butter. The Hollows screamed in sheer agony as Ichigo and Renji were dealing their deathly blows.

Renji, like Ichigo, had the same playful, if not mad, look about him as he sliced and hacked his way through the large pack of Hollows, no signs of wearing down in sight. Ichigo still mused about being partnered up with the man who had nearly beaten him the first time and had joined up with him to save Rukia later on. Renji had admitted that he wasn't happy about being partnered up with Ichigo. He considered him to be reckless, insane at times, and, most of all, foolhardy. Still, Renji still was in awe and respect of Ichigo's abilities, thus knowing that Ichigo would cover his back. Over the years, their pairing had been difficult at most times, due mostrly to the fact that Ichigo lived in the Human World, something Renji had to get used to. Renji enlisted into Ichigo's high school much in the same manner as Rukia had. However, he wasn't as successful with winning over Ichigo's classmates as Rukia had, due to the fact that Renji's overall personality matched Ichigo and Uryū Ishida's. Renji hung out with Ichigo, Chad, and Orihime during the class break times and after school as well. Unlike Rukia, however, Renji was curious enough to want to meet Ichigo's family. He seemed oddly enough to get along with Isshin, the two seemed to be laughing when in their discussions about who knows what. He helped out Yuzu with the cooking whenever he was over and seemed to get on Karin's good side. The only person who didn't like him all that much was Tatsuki. Whenever the two were near each other they would always be either yelling or taunting and on some occasions goading each other into fighting. Other than Tatsuki, Orihime's other friends just thought of him as a jerk with a scary face much like Ichigo's.

Ichigo jumped high into the hair, the night's wind accompanied by the continuing rain would have made this fight miserable if not unbearable. Fighting these Hollows in the rain had Ichigo recounting his fight with Grand Fisher, the Hollow that uses a lure disguised in the form of either a child or that of someone of it's prey's memories. The fight revealed something important, the cause of Ichigo's mother's death. It also marked the point where Ichigo had fully dedicated his life to being a Soul Reaper if only to becomne strong enough to defeat Grand Fisher.

Slicing through his sixth Hollow, with Grand Fisher on his mind, Ichigo sped up his thrusts and slices as both he and Renji continued on their dealings with the Hollows.

* * *

Meanwhile, across town, Kon, who was occupying Ichigo's body, was doing his usual frolicking through the air, jumping to high places and perching and watching from tops of telephone poles.

When Ichigo had come back from the Soul Society he told Kon that he would be a Soul Reaper for more times then he had before. Seeing as how he no longer required Kon to exit his body, Ichigo, however, told Kon that he could use his body for those times he was out of it. Kon was extremely grateful and pleased to be out of the stuffed lion's body for more times than before. It was a liberating experience, however, Kon always had to keep in mind the promise he always had to make to Ichigo: Never try to fight Hollows in the body.

Tonight, was wonderful for Kon. The darkness and dankness of the night's sky accompanied by the rain made it easy for Kon to make super-human speeds and leaps as people were either already inside or were in a hurry to make their way in, leaving the entire city for Kon's pleasure. Kon's fun, however, was stopped suddenly as he accidentally slipped on a overly wet railing on top of a building and found himself hurtling downwards. To his luck, a flag pole was in reach and using his Mod skills and abilities, like a spring, projected himself off of it and toward the playground down below.

Kon, once down on the ground looked upwards, whistling in relief. "Phew! THAT was close. I'd never hear the end of it from Ichigo if I-"

An abrupt booming sound, followed by the shaking of the ground, stopped Kon in mid-sentence. Kon cautiously, and slowly, turned around.

Crouching around a set of teeter-totters with a body and legs that resembled a crane but with a masked head and paws that looked more like a lion's was a Hollow. It slowly got up and peered down at Kon with its menacingly brilliant yellow eyes.

"_**Ah…time to eat.**_" It said with a certain purr-like sound.

* * *

Amidst piercing his twenty-eighth Hollow, Ichigo suddenly stopped and turned on the spot, clutching his chest in the process.

_What's going on?_ He thought to himself. He remembered having this worried feeling before, but when…

Renji managed to finish off the three remaining Hollows, as soon as he finished he looked curiously at Ichigo. He sighed.

"Rain's still bothering you?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, it's not that, it's-" Ichigo's eyes snapped wide open he then, without saying a word, took off down the street.

Renji soon caught up. "Kurosaki! What's with you!"

"My body, Kon, they-re in danger, I can feel it." Ichigo said, without looking back at Renji. Renjis asked no more as he followed Ichigo down the street.

* * *

"_**STAND STILL!!**_" The Hollow yelled as Kon managed to dodge its fist slamming into the pavement where Kon previously once stood.

Kon felt luck was on his side with this battle. So far he's been able to dodge all the attacks this Hollow's been launching at him. However, he knew this couldn't continue on forever. If he could manage to at least wear down this Hollow enough, Kon would be able to escape and head to Urahara's shop where Kon knew he'd be able to evade this Hollow, should it try to follow him. How long that'd take would be a matter of question.

Taking a gigantic leap, Kon kicked hard and sent the Hollow crashing tom the ground. Kon knew he shouldn't over due this, Ichigo's warning ringing in his ears. Remembering those words, Kon knew he should actually take flight.

"Well, hate to beat you and run, but-" Kon froze as he looked over his shoulder and saw another one of the exact same Hollow.

Both Hollows were chuckling, the one in front of Kon spoke, "_**Well, human, it seems you have some unique abilities. But so do I!**_"

The one behind Kon then spoke, "_**I have the power to create clones of myself, although they have limits, they do serve their purpose. Now, can you guess which one is real?**_" Both Hollows raised their arms high and swung down upon Kon.

Kon, desperately flung himself forward, hearing the earth-shattering crash behind him. He had heard it from the right side, though.

Kon turned on the spot and noticed that neither of the Hollows had moved from their spots. Kon looked at the Hallow to the right, remembering that the crashing sound had emanated from the right. Kon smirked.

"I know which one is you." He said, in a sing-song like manner.

The Hollow on the right sneered. "_**Do you now? Well then…**_"

Suddenly, Kon felt an immense crushing pain on all sides of his body. Looking down, he saw that he was in the clutches of a large dark hand. He was soon brought up high into the air, wher ehe soon saw the masked face of the actual Hollow. Kon looked behind him and saw the other Hollows implode into clouds of smoke.

"Dammit…" Kon grunted.

Ichigo and Renji arrived to find the playground in ruins and Kon, in Ichigo's body, high above in the air in the hand of a Hollow.

"Kon!" Ichigo called out. He then stampeded forward, like a charging bull, jumped high on into the air. With Zangetsu raised high, Ichigo slashed at the Hollow's wrist of the hand that held Kon. Unfortunately, the Hollow moved out of Ichigo's attack; startled to seeing two Soul Reapers.

"_**Soul Reapers?!**_" It exclaimed in confusion.

Kon chuckled, "Yeah, Soul Reapers. Better let me go, if you know what's good for ya."

The Hollow peered down at Kon in a irritated manner, he soon looked up, however, when Ichigo, with Renji, this time, started his second attack.

Renji managed to cut off the towering legs of the Hollow, just as Ichigo sliced off the hand containing Kon.

"Get out of here, Kon!" Ichigo yelled.

Kon, using his elbows, pulled apart the fingers of the hand and leapt while in mid-air only to find another hand grabbing hold of him.

Kon looked on in disbelief at the face of the same Hollow.

"Wha…" Kon began and turned to see the Hollow, Ichigo and Renji were fighting, implode into smoke.

"_**Foolish Soul Reapers.**_" The Hollow mused as he then turned his attention back to Kon. Suddenly, Zangetsu came flying through the air and imbedded itself into the Hollow's shoulder. This Hollow yelled out in pain. Ichigo and Renji soon appeared.

"Enough of your little puppet-show, Hollow. Time to die." Ichigo said, jumping up high and retrieving Zangetsu.

Kon, once again, tried to break free of the Hollow's grip as Ichigo and Renji began their attack. The Hollow, however, tightened his grip.

"_**They're after the both of us, I see.**_" The Hollow said. It then jumped clear across to the other end of the playground.

Kon Watched as Ichigo and Renji doubled their efforts and began to flash-step their way over to his new location. Kon grinned and looked at the Hollow, smirking.

"How long can you keep running before they catch and kill you, Hollow?"

The Hollow squinted, "_**You may be right, fleshling, but…**_"

Kon Felt himself being raised high on into the air.

"_**Your fate will be sealed much quicker than mine!**_" It roared, throwing his fist down.

Kon looked to where he was headed and it was to the broken, upright, pole of a dilapidated swing set.

Kon's eyes went wide, his mind going in every direction as precious seconds were hurtling by, as he was getting closer to the jagged end of the pole. He then remembered something and dug into his shirt to bring out a metal object. Kon, then, slammed it to his forehead.

* * *

Ichigo finally got to the Hollow and Zangetsu tore it in half. Ichigo then knelt for a second, taking a quick breath before getting up. As soon as he did, he looked around for Kon.

"Kon! KON! Where the hell are you?" Ichigo called out.

Renji, who was right next to Ichigo looked around at the area. "What a mess." He then saw something and stopped in his tracks.

Ichigo noticed his pause. "What is it, do you see Kon?" Ichigo looked to where Renji was looking and immediately fell to his knees. His stare was solid, his bottom lip quivered, and his mind transfixed in horror. Ichigo watched, continued to look at the bloody mass that was impaled upon the once swing set.

Renji, who continued to say nothing, looked down and scowled as he soon brought up the Gikongai pill along with a metal chain with the Soul Extractor logo on it.

"So you abandoned ship, huh? You Mod Souls are always cowards in the end." Renji tightened his grip on the pill, even though he knew any pressure by him would be of no use. Renji sighed, closed his eyes, and then looked back at Ichigo who remained frozen on the spot.

Miles away, Rukia suddenly felt an immense chill. She watched the rain outside her window, sighing.

"What the rain brings with it…"

To be continued…

A/N: I'll admit that I had some problems with this first chapter in terms of getting the characters moods/expressions/tones/motives correct, so please forgive me or give me some hints on how to do it better for the next chapter, if you can.

I hop you all liked it and I anxiously await your reviews.

Q-n-P


	2. Thoughts

Chapter Two: Thoughts

Ichigo's death was soon reported all over Karakura Town. People reported the sighting as bizarre and disturbing as the way his death was implicated and by the sight of the destroyed playground.

Orihime Inoue and Yastora "Chad" Sado, having recently heard the news, both remained confidant that while the image and news about Ichigo's apparent death was alarming there was still hope that Ichigo would still be around. Orihime had spent the entire morning of the news report, consoling Tatsuki as she had called her and told her the news. Poor Tatsuki had been hit hard and it was harder for Orihime to try to give her the confidence, that both she and Chad have now, that Ichigo may still be around, despite having been shown and reported dead on the news. Having grown up with Ichigo, Tatsuki began to reminisce between her sobs about Ichigo, with Orihime either patting her back or making her tea just before she tired herself out. As soon as she was asleep, Orihime left a note for Tatsuki to call her as soon as possible, if she needed, and then Orihime called Chad and the two decided to try and seek out Ichigo. But before they would, Orihime wanted to see how Ichigo's family was holding up and to pay her respects.

Walking with Chad, the two soon arrived at the Kurosaki Clinic, which had a closed sign outside of the clinic doors but along with a note asking anyone who wished to pay their respects to come around to the house's entrance. Orihime found out that, besides Chad and herself, the only other person who was currently at the Kurosaki residence was Yuzu's boyfriend, Jinta. Jinta had the same serious look about him and he seemed to continue to grow taller as he was almost as tall as Ichigo was.

"How's Yuzu doing, Jinta?" Orihime asked as both she and Chad were asked to sit down as Isshin Kurosaki went to get some drinks, Jinta already sitting down across from them.

Jinta looked toward the kitchen where Yuzu was already hard at work making appetizers for the wake.

Jinta sighed, "I don't know, really. She's been quiet, really quiet. I've been trying to get her out of this house, but she insists on being here to take care of things." Jinta brushed back his firey red hair, which closely resembled Renji's, if not a little darker, and he took a sip of the drink that was in front of him. "It'd be better if Karin was here, Yuzu's been asking for her."

Orihime looked concerned, "Why? Where Karin?"

Jinta shrugged. "As soon as they all heard the news, Karin took off. No one knows exactly where she's gone to."

Chad, who had remained quiet ever since they've arrived, leaned forward.

"Jinta…has Ichigo…"

Jinta, as if expecting this, shook his head. "He hasn't come back here, yet."

* * *

Renji Abarai arrived back at the Soul Society and as soon as he did, the onlookers who had seen him broke out into whispers and mutterings. Those whose eyes he caught, he gave deathly stares, which resulted in them either shutting up, or scurrying away. The news from the living world that the liaison between the Soul Society and the Living World, Ichigo Kurosaki's human body had been discovered impaled had caused quite a commotion in the Spirit realm. Everyone seemed to be aware of the fact that Renji had been partnered up with him and the fact he was now returning without Ichigo's Soul Reaper self, seemed to imply something else entirely.

Renji didn't care. He could care even less about idle gossip that happened around the Soul Society. Renji continued his way to the Thirteenth Company division where he had been sent a Hell Butterfly. Standing before the Captian's quarters of Jushiro Ukitake's, Renji lightly knocked on the door of the Captain's.

"Come in." came the reply.

Renji entered and as soon as he did he froze as Captain Ukitake began his usual violent coughing fits, followed by blood erupting from his mouth. Renji looked away, feeling awkward by the situation, he waited until Ukitake was under control, again.

Ukitake smiled, ruefully, as he wiped his mouth and settled into chair in front of his desk.

"I didn't get any on you, did I?"

Renji shook his head, "No, sir."

Taking a drink of tea, Ukitake sighed and then looked at Renji. "How is he?"

Renji, again, looked away, sighing despairingly. "Not well, sir. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do."

Ukitake sighed, "I suspected as much, though I could never relate; as I'm sure neither could you."

Renji nodded.

There was an abrupt flash and soon a body-shaped outline appeared outside the door of Ukitaker's hut, followed by the same light knock that Renji had done prior.

"Yes?" Ukitake replied, knowing fully well who was out there. "What is it Kiyone?"

"Captain," she said, "I thought you'd like to know that the council has ended miss Rukia Kuchiki's five-year suspension and that she's now back in Soul Society."

Ukitake gave a relieved sigh. "That IS good news, Kiyone. Do have her come by, if you please."

"Yes sir!" Kiyone replied and soon vanished again.

Renji, watching her leave, turned back to Ukitake. "Is there anything else you'd have me do before I go back to report to Captain Kuchiki, Captain Ukitake?"

Ukitake nodded, "Stay here and wait, with me, for Miss Kuchiki. I'm not sure if she knows about Mr. Kurosaki."

Renji nodded. "Alright, then."

They didn't have to wait too long, however, as soon both Rukia and Kiyone arrived. As soon as she was let in, Rukia seemed to brighten at the sight of both of her Captain and Renji.

"Captian Ukitake." She bowed and then turned to Renji and nodded, "And Lieutenant Abarai, sir; it's good to see you both, again."

Both returned the nod and courtesy. Ukitake indicated to a chair in front of his desk, but, as always, Rukia stood where she was.

"I'll bet you're relieved to be over such a crap assignment, Miss Kuchiki. Am I right?" He said with a cocky smile.

Rukia smiled back, "Yes, sir."

"Those bastards in the Council were basically trying to have everyone in Soul Society try and forget about you. Try to sweep you away, so to speak."

Rukia looked as if she already suspected this, as she remained rooted to the spot, her face expressionless. "Yes, sir."

Ukitake nodded and then sighed as he got up. "Truth be told, Rukia. There's a reason why your suspension's ended and that you've come back." He walked around and met with her face to face.

"I asked the council to do me an extreme favor by having you come back."

Both Renji and Rukia looked at him in surprise, despite themselves. Both knew of his generosity toward his subordinates, Rukia especially, but they were also fully aware of his futile attempts to try and get Rukia exonerated for her charges of lending her Shingami powers to a human.

"Thank you, sir." Rukia said; she bowed once more.

Ukitake waived a hand dismissivly, "Think nothing of it. However…" He looked at Rukia more seriously, this time; his smile had disappeared. "There's another reason as to why I needed you back, Rukia Kuchiki."

Rukia looked at her Captain for any clue or indicator as to why the sudden change in tone.

Ukitake took a deep breath before continuing. "Your friend, Mr. Kurosaki, has had something happened to him."

Rukia's eyes were alive with fear and confusion, although, to the unsuspecting eye they appeared calm, all due to her training. Ukitake and Renji, however, knew otherwise.

"His human body was destroyed by a Hollow while he and Renji were in a battle with other ones miles away. Since then he hasn't been good." Ukitake said.

Rukia's expression seemed a little calmer than before; again, she masked it well. She was about to speak when Ukitake held up his hand as he smiled.

"I know what you're going to ask, and yes, I'll allow you to take a trip to the Living World, in fact I want it to be your utmost priority. Understood?"

Rukia allowed a small smile, despite what she was feeling inside, and nodded. "Thank you, Captain. I'll handle it, sir."

Renji too gave a smile, a knowing smile, as he understood what Ukitake was doing. It was probably the best way to get Ichigo Kurosaki out of depression and back to work.

* * *

Orihime and Chad's next visit was to Urahara's shop. Ururu was outside sweeping. Ururu was no longer the little meek girl, although her bangs still remained covering her face. Orihime thought she had grown into a beautiful teenage girl and had heard through her guardian, Tessai, that she was dating someone. Ururu seemed to brighten as she saw the two of them come up, even though she didn't show it much.

"Miss Inoue, Mr. Chad, welcome." She said in hushed, yet happy, tone.

Orihime and Chad nodded.

"Is Mr. Urahara in, Ururu?" Orihime asked.

Ururu nodded, "He's talking with Ms. Yoruichi. She's just come back." She then propped the broom she had been using against the side of the store and led Orihime and Chad in. The fake candy store brought back so many memories to both Orihime and Chad; it was here that the two of them learned of the unique powers they had obtained from Ichigo by Mr. Urahara. It was also here that, along with Uryu Ishida and Ms. Yoruichi, they began their journey into the Soul Society to rescue Rukia. This place held different meanings for each of them and now they were hoping they might find their friend here.

Ururu led them to the very familiar underground training area where Ichigo had trained to re-receive his Soul Reaper powers and where they all went through the gate to go to the Soul Society. It was here that they could see, once they reached the bottom, Urahara having an animated discussion with Yoruichi, who in turn seemed to smirk at her friend. The two of them looked over to them once they heard footsteps in the echoing training ground.

"Ah, Miss Inoue, Mr. Sado, nice to see both of you. How are things?" Urahara smiled.

Chad slightly scowled at the tactlessness, knowing well that Urahara was known for knowing things yet either not caring or joking about the situation. Orihime seemed to welcome the smile he was giving them.

"We're fine, Mr. Urahara. We're concerned about Ichigo, though. You have heard what's happened to his body, haven't you?" Orihime asked.

"We have." Urahara said. Yoruichi seemed to be giving her cat-like smile at the two of them, still remaining silent and observant.

"Then, do you know if Ichigo was in his Soul Reaper form at the time or…" Orihime looked to the ground, unable to finish her sentence.

"He was fighting Hollows, so don't you give the latter another thought." Yoruichi said, speaking for the first time.

Orihime brightened. "Then, have you seen him since? Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, do you? Urahara?"

Orihime and Chad spun around and starred at the two figures standing before them.

Rukia.

"Rukia!" Orihime exclaimed and came up and embraced her, startling Rukia.

Chad simply waived a hand. "Hey."

Rukia nodded at him, "'Hey', yourself. It's good to see both of you." She turned back to Urahara. "Now, Urahara, DO you know where Ichigo is and have you seen him lately?"

Urahara closed his fan and walked past all of them and said as he left, "I'm sorry. I don't know where he is and I haven't seen him."

* * *

Ichigo was in his old bedroom along with him was Karin. Karin had grown up, a lot. No longer the boyish looking girl that a lot of her classmates accused her being, she had now grown her hair long, developed breasts, and had begun to wear some dresses, yet she still maintained her tomboy attitude by wearing pants and t-shirts for most of the time. Still, she was a far cry from the girl she was five years ago. Ichigo had spent most of his time here since that night, not wanting to go or be anywhere else.

Karin sat on Ichigo's bed next to him. After hearing the news and seeing her brother's body, when Isshin, Yuzu, and herself had to go to the Morgue, Karin didn't come back with them. She instead walked around town, letting out the tears she didn't want any of her family to see. When she came back, she decided to spend some time in Ichigo's room and this is where she found him, or his spirit rather.

He looked terrible. It pained her to see her brother like this, even when he was a spirit. To her amazement she found him to be solid when she ran up to hug him and yell at him for dying like that. She stopped once she had seen his face, a face she hadn't seen since their mom died. Once she had been able to get her feelings under control, she demanded to know what had happened. His explanation took a lot of time to digest. But, soon enough, it settled.

"So, does it feel any different?" She asked.

Ichigo chuckled, ruefully. "You know, you would think it would; having actually lost my body. But really, it _doesn't_ feel any different than the other times I've left my body."

Karin furrowed her brow, "So then why are you looking so miserable? If it isn't any different then-"

"Because I can never go back. That's what's different. This," He tugged on the robe of his Shuhaksho, "THIS is now permanent." He sighed despairingly.

"Well," Karin said, putting a hand on her brother's shoulder she then lift it up and smacked him across the head, "It could be worse, you dumbass!" She shouted.

Ichigo looked at her in surprise with a little irritation for having been hit, as well. "What the hell was that for?"

"Yuzu can't see you! Dad can't see you! You know how much it pains me that only _**I**_ can see you, Ichigo? On top of all that you're up here feeling bad for yourself when it could have been a lot worse to where I _wouldn't _have found you up here! That you didn't have all these fancy powers of yours and you simply passed away! Did you ever think about that!" Karin's face became a deep shade of red as she glared at Ichigo, the tears still flowing.

Ichigo sighed, once more, and took Karin, to her surprise, again, into a firm hug. "I'm sorry, Karin. I didn't think about you guys and how it'd make you all feel. Again, I'm sorry."

Karin pulled herself from Ichigo and looked at him, again, in a weirded-out curiosity. "How…How is it that I can touch you? I thought spirits weren't solid, am I right?"

Ichigo nodded and then began to tell his sister more about Shingamis and life of the Spirit World, feeling slightly better because of her.

* * *

Everyone, except Urahara, Ururu, and Yoruichi, had split up from Urahara's, seeing as they'd have a better chance of finding Ichigo that way. The place Rukia was headed was strictly for nostalgia, although she was going to look for Ichigo afterwards, she felt a sudden need to revisit this place.

Walking through the wall and stepping onto the desk, Rukia had come back to Ichigo's room. It was nighttime, which made it all so familiar. Rukia's eyes went to the closet where she had spent three months living in this closet with Ichigo close by.

She then smirked to herself. _Not to mention, that pervert, Kon._

All the memories of their time together, in this room, came flooding back to her. The most memorable, the time she met Ichigo. Stepping off of the desk, much in the same fashion as she had when she first set foot into this room, Rukia retraced her movements to the point just before Ichigo kicked her. She smiled as she remembered the shock of it all, being kicked down by a mere human.

Rukia smiled, again. _Though, Ichigo's no mere human. Not by a longshot._

Looking at where she was, she calculated upon where Ichigo might have been when she entered his room and then…

Rukia froze. Sleeping in the bed she was looking at wasIchigo!

She found herself a little more relaxed now, having found him; and, oddly enough, by going to a place she hadn't really expected him to be at.

"Ichigo?" She called quietly but loud enough that he should hear her.

Ichigo was sleeping, soundly.

"Ichigo, you fool, can you hear me?"

This time Ichigo seemed to murmur some sort of come back and then turned over, still asleep.

Rukia sighed out of amused irritation, still smiling. She looked to the closet, wondering if the mattresses she had set up were still there. She looked at the sliding door of the closet more closely and found, taped there, was several things. One was the letter she had written bidding her farewell and warning Ichigo not to come after.

_A lot of good that did._ Rukia smiled, knowing fully well the power of Ichigo's stubbornness.

Looking further she found other things. Letters from Orihime, Chad, Uryu, and, surprisingly, Urahara; all of them telling Ichigo not to give up despite what Rukia had decided when she choose to remain at the Soul Society. Telling him that she would come back, again, one day.

Rukia sighed and looked back at Ichigo. _And so I have._

Rukia walked over and sat on the bed next to Ichigo. Her thoughts went deep about the relationship her and Ichigo had together, but mostly how she enjoyed it, despite herself. She knew that, in Soul Society, she had been brought up to be the perfect Shingami; that certain emotions like love, friendship, loss, and other unimportant feelings distracted and thus would prevent a Soul Reaper from doing their duty. However, a number of Captains, Lieutenants, and a number of Soul Reapers have defied this old rule, Shunsui Kyoraku being the most notorious of them all.

All of these feelings that she's felt, but had bottled up, and now was feeling again, confused and scared Rukia.

_What is there to be afraid of?_

Rukia turned and was met by a woman made of ice. She was a beautiful woman, who was only covered by white silk-like sheets that, like her long hair, flailed about in the windless bedroom. She reminded Rukia of the artwork "The Birth of Venus".

"Shirayuki." Rukia breathed.

She was the Spiritual form of Rukia's Zanpaktou, named Sode no Shirayuki: Sleeved White Snow. Rukia always called it by the last name whenever she met her face to face.

"Why are you here?" Rukia asked.

_You know why, Rukia. Tell me, how can I help you?_ Shirasuki asked, smiling.

Rukia sighed, turning back to Ichigo. "I don't what it is I feel when I'm with him or if it's the right thing to be feeling."

Shirasuki nodded. _That's understandable. You've never had these sort of confusing feelings before. _

Rukia looked at her Zanpaktou's spirit in surprise at what she had just said.

"Haven't I?"

Shirasuki shook her head. _You've had flickers of them but nothing more. You've always decided to close yourself off to others in the end. More so, after Kaien Shiba._

Rukia felt that name, as the memory of her friend and mentor accompany it, sting her.

Shirasuki sighed. _It was painful, yes. _

Rukia looked to the floor. "I am afraid."

Shirasuki smiled. _I know you are, Rukia. I'm here to tell you, you needn't be._

Rukia laughed, ruefully. "What are you, my Zanpaktou's spirit, or my conscience's better half?"

Shirasuki smiled again. _As you know, I'm always there to help you with whatever battle you encounter, internal and otherwise. _

Rukia nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

With a flash of white light, Sode no Shirasuki's spirit had disappeared, leaving Rukia alone with Ichigo, once again. Looking at him, remembering the conversation she had with her Zanpaktou's spirit, her collective thoughts merged into one, which left her smiling. She then slid herself down on to the floor, close by to Ichigo, and allowed sleep's early signs to take immediate control of her.

To be continued…

A/N: Sorry to cut it short here but I made this chapter way too long and have decided to use the second half to build upon and make it into the third chapter, instead. I apologize if Rukia's Zanpaktou's spirit has already been shown and is something other than what I've introduced. I'll admit that I've only seen the first season of the anime but have read a lot of the Manga and some tidbits on Wikipedia and other places on the Internet. So please forgive me for that. Lastly, thanks to those who've reviewed and to those who still haven't, please review!

Q-n-P


	3. Just Breathe

Chapter Three: Just Breathe

The Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13 were assembling at the 1st Division as Yamamoto had announced a meeting. It was no secret that he had met with the new council and afterwards had called for this meeting to take place. However, whatever had been discussed between the Captain and the council, remained unknown.

Ukitake shuffled in late as usual. Never once has he been reprimanded for his tardiness or lateness due to his trifling health, for which he's been grateful.

There were hushed discussions being made by both Captains and Lieutenants when Ukitake arrived; which meant that the actual meeting had yet to begin.

Yamamoto, through one eye, watched Ukitake sit down next to Kiyone and Sentarō and then cleared his voice which echoed loudly. As expected, everyone stopped talking and focused their attention upon Yamamoto.

"Welcome," He said, "to all, whom I'm pleased to see are in good health. Today's discussion has, most likely, been talked about all over the Seireitei grounds." Yamamoto stopped and peared out with the only eye he used to look with at the men and women in the room, taking into account those with questions on their faces.

He continued, "I'm sure, if not all of you, most of you have heard the news regarding the Human/Shingami Representative, Ichigo Kurosaki, and the loss of his human body."

As Yamamoto had suspected, there were few who hadn't heard the news and slight murmuring erupted in the hall. Again, Yamamoto cleared his voice which subsided the chatter.

"Was he in his Human body at the time?" Asked Captain Kurotsuchi, his eyes alive with the possibility of having another test subject on his slab.

Ukitake spoke. "No, he wasn't, and he still maintains his extraordinary Spiritual Energy despite the loss."

Murmuring once again broke out over this, only this time at a greater volume and again, Yamamoto cleared his throat bringing everyone's attention back toward him.

"The Council has instructed me to give Kurosaki much consideration for a Captain's position." After those last two words were uttered by the ancient Shingami, the whole room suddenly broke out with words.

"WHAT?!"

"Captain Yamamoto, are you kidding?!"

"We've had enough embarrassment because of Aizen! We don't need this!"

Captain Yamamoto didn't clear his voice this time and let the Captains and the Lieutenants, the latter making most of the fuss, continue their bickering.

It seemed to die down after awhile as it was apparent no one was answering the questions being shouted. Once it all settled again, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya stood.

"I think some of this rabble's worries are founded, Captain. Kurosaki's too unstable with his Spirit Energy and, for the most part, he's much too juvenile and reckless to be given a Captain's position."

"Besides," added Captain Komamura, "Haven't we already filled the vacated Captain spots of squads three, five, and nine?"

Captains Shusuke Amagai, Momo Hinamori, and Izuru Kira had stone-faced expressions, though Izuru had beads of sweat at the corners of his temples building.

Captain Yamamoto sighed, "I told the council that it'd be put to a vote by the Gotei 13. Therefore, all in favor?"

Only three hands rose, those of Captains Ukitake, Zaraki, and Kyoraku.

"Opposed?" Yamamoto asked.

Practically all, with the exception of Unohana, as she has always remained impartial; had raised their hands.

"Very well." Yamamoto said, nodding. "Meeting adjourned."

Some of the Lieutenants looked at the Captain in surprise, not suspecting this to be a short meeting. Everyone began to get up and head out.

"Mr. Hitsugaya, Mr. Ukitake, and Ms. Unohana; may I have a word with the three of you?" Yamamoto called out amongst the chatter that came from the departing Shingamis.

Ukitake looked in confusion at Yamamoto in confusion and then looked to his subordinates.

"Take care of things, I'll be back shortly." He said.

The two smartly saluted and left in a flash.

Ukitake followed the short stature of Hitsugaya into Yamamoto's office. Unohana had already come in and settled, leraving the two men to come in and sit down. They waited until Yamamoto finally situated himself before he opened the only he looked out with.

"First off, let me begin to say that, between the four of us, the meeting you were all in was a ruse."

Both Hitsugaya and Ukitake looked at Yamamoto in shock, while Unohana remained expressionless.

"What for?" Asked Hitsugaya asked, his voice on the edge.

Yamamoto held up a hand, "For good reason. Despite the five, uneventful, years that have gone by; none of us can be certain of spies that still remain faithful to Aizen are not present."

Ukitake closed his eyes and nodded. _That is true._

Hitsugaya sighed, "Why do you confide this in us three?"

"Because," Yamamoto said, "It's going to be you three who'll bring Mr. Kurosaki the news that he's the Captain of the 14th squad."

Both Ukitake and Hitsugaya starred at Yamamoto.

"'Squad 14'? There's a 'Squad 14'? When did this happen?" Ukitake asked.

"In truth, there isn't a Squad 14, at least not here in the Seireitei. It's location will be in the Living World." Yamamoto said.

"How?" Hitsugaya asked, livid with more questions.

Yamamoto held up his hand, "Another has the answers to your questions, one with whom I've been working in secret with this plan."

Ukitake's eyes went wide as he just figured out the person in question. "Him? Captain, are you sure he can be trusted with this? He's a self-serving opportunist!"

Yamammoto nodded, "I know, but he knows whats at stake should Aizen and his cohorts take power. You are to meet with him after meeting with Kurosaki and Miss Kuchiki."

Ukitake raised an eyebrow, "Miss Kuchiki?"

Yamamoto nodded, "I'll speak with you separately on that subject, Captain Ukitake." Yamamoto looked to Hitsugaya.

"I want you, Captain Hitsugaya, to make sure Kurosaki's skills are up to par. Trauma can do damaging things."

Hitsugaya nodded, "I understand."

Unohana, who had remained silent through the entire conversation, looked to Yamamoto.

"What is to be my role in all this?"

Yamamoto sighed, "There's an old acquaintance of yours that you'll meet along with Kurosaki. I have a proposal I'd like to make to him and I want you to deliver it."

Unohana nodded, smiling. Although she looked slightly confused.

She, along with Hitsugaya, left Yamamoto's office; leaving him and Ukitake to discuss about Rukia Kuchiki.

* * *

It was the late morning when Ichigo Kurosaki had waken up. He rubbed hi eyes and sat upright on his bed, looking gloomily out the window of the wall that adjoined it. Looking down at his shihakushou, sighing.

_Here I am, still; I guess…_

Turning his feet off the bed, he felt them hit something. Moving them over and bending slightly down to see what he had hit, Ichigo looked in shock to see Rukia sleeping soundly at the bottom side of his bed. Ichigo started rubbing his eyes and then looked again to see if what he had saw was there again. No doubt, she was still there, still muttering incoherent things in her sleep.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, wondering when, exactly, she had arrived here; he then wondered if would be wise for him to wake her up right now.

There were so many things he wanted to talk to her about, like where she's been, did the Soul Society keep her away, and such things. However, the most important one he wished to ask was if she was okay.

Ichigo sighed and got off his bed and walked to his dresser, only stopping when he realized the truth that was before him, still. The shihakushou, that he was wearing, would be the only clothes he would wear from now on. He sighed and then turned to Rukia. It had been so long and he had forgotten what she had looked like when he had first met her. Seeing her in her shihakushou with her Zanpaktou at her side, brought back the distant, but not forgotten, memory of their first meeting.

Ichigo looked around. It was in this very room. He smiled as he thought of something.

Walking over to Rukia, he placed a hand on the top of her head and rocked her head back and forth, vigorously.

"Are you going to sleep all day, little brat?" He said with a grin.

Rukia's eyes sprung open and formed into a frown. "A 'brat' am I?" She then leaped into the air and landed into a stance on Ichigo's bed, her hand on the hilt of her Zanpaktou, her other one out in front of her, in a Kido casting stance. Once she looked at Ichigo, however, she broke from the fighting stance and looked at him in surprise.

"Ichigo?"

He smiled, "Good to see you again, Soul Reaper."

Rukia's eyes brightened and she gave off a soft smile. "You too, you idiot." She got off of Ichigo's bed.

"How are you?" She asked.

Ichigo sighed, once more, and walked back to the bed and sat down on it.

"I honestly don't know. My family's a mess, Orihime and Chad are worried about me, and of course Kon blames himself."

Rukia scowled, "As he should."

Ichigo shrugged, "I guess I should be angry at that stupid Mod Soul, but I'm having trouble finding the energy."

Rukia looked at him concerned, "You mean your Spiritual Powers-"

"No." Ichigo interrupted, "What I mean is, is that I'm feeling tired at being mad or depressed. I can't change what's happened. I just don't know where to go to from here."

Just then the door opened.

"Ichigo, there's-" Karin stopped as she could see Ichigo wasn't alone in his room. "I-I know you. I've seen you before." She said, pointing a finger at Rukia.

Ichigo got up, "Karin, this is Rukia Kuchiki. She's a Soul Reaper, like I am…and always will be." He finished, sighing and looking away.

"Ichigo." Rukia said, looking concernedly at him.

Karin's eyes were still fixed on Rukia. "Why is she here, and in your room? Did you two…"

Both Rukia and Ichigo's eyes went wide and both shouted.

"WHA-WHAT? NO, OF COURSE NOT!"

"NO, REALLY, WE… UH…I… JUST GOT HERE."

Karin gave a devious smile, looking at the pair of sweating spirits, standing before her.

"Whatever. I thought you'd like to know, Ichigo, that two people, downstairs, are talking with Dad. They seem to know quite a bit about you."

Ichigo and Rukia quietly walked down the stairs and turned the corner to see Ichigo's dad, Isshin, talking with a man who had long white hair wearing a fedora and an Italian suit.

Rukia looked at him in shock. "C-Captain Ukitake?"

Ukitake looked over to her, smiling. Once he had turned his head, there was another face behind him. Dressed in a flowered printed dress, Ichigo recognized the woman who had her hair braided in the front rather than the back. A woman Ichigo had met once but for some reason could never forget.

"U-Unohana, too? What's going on here?" Ichigo started to walk forward but came to a stop as he saw his Dad turning on the spot, looking directly at him, smiling.

"You're finally up, huh? You two weren't up all night were you, Ichigo?" Isshin gave him a wink.

It was as if time had froze, as Ichigo starred at his father.

Ukitake shifted uncomfortably while Unohana looked on in thoughtfulness.

Rukia, too, was starring at Isshin Kurosaki, wondering if every member of the Kurosaki family was spiritually aware.

Ichigo finally found himself able to speak. "I thought you weren't able to see spirits, Dad? When did that all change?"

Isshin Kurosaki, like his son, scratched the back of his head. "Well, actually, I have since before you were born, Ichigo."

Both Rukia and Ichigo starred at him.

"So…So you lied to me, Karin, and Yuzu, when you said you couldn't see them? Why?"

Isshin sighed, "I promised your mother."

Ichigo felt like he needed to sit down; he clutched his head. "M-MOM KNEW!?"

Rukia looked at Isshin's hand and saw a red scroll, rolled up and sealed with the insignia of Captain Yamamoto. This caused her own eyes to bug out as she pointed a finger at the scroll.

"That's Yamamoto's seal!"

Ichigo looked to Rukia. "Yamamoto? You mean that grizzly-looking Captain? The old one?"

Isshin chuckled, "Old man Yamamoto would tear you a new one if he heard you describing him in that way, kid."

Both Ichigo an Rukia looked at Ichigo's father as he nodded to their stares of shock.

"Yeah, I know him. First met him when…" He then pointed his thumb back at Unohana, "We were his students of his at the Seireitei."

Ichigo finally couldn't take anymore as he stumbled back, out of weariness, and fell into a chair.

"You're a…a…a Shingami?!"

Isshin puffed out his chest, "More than that, I was once the 11th Division's Captain!"

While Rukia looked on in shock, Ichigo growled.

"Why didn't you tell us…Dad?" He looked up in a scowl.

Isshin smirked, "I told you, Masaki didn't want me to, to any of you. However, when _**you**_ became a Soul Reaper, I knew it was only time before I had to spill the truth."

Rukia scowled, "How come I've never heard about you? How there's no record of a 'Isshin Kurosaki' being a Captain of the 11th Division?" She looked to Ukitake and Unohana.

Ukitake smiled, he looked to Ichigo. "I can't tell you how surprised we both were when we came here and found your father, an old friend of ours, living here. The truth is, his last name isn't 'Kurosaki'."

Unohana nodded, "It's Taigo. Isshin Taigo."

"Well why did you change it?" Rukia asked.

Isshin stretched, cracking his knuckles at the same time, he then grinned. "…Another story, for another time."

Both Ichigo and Rukia shouted at him.

"OH, NO, NOT THAT EASY!!"

Ukitake then came into a coughing fit, holding a cloth to his mouth; his coughing had everyone looking at him in worry.

"Still have that going on, huh?" Isshin said, placing a hand on Ukitake's back. He then turned to look at Ichigo and Rukia.

"I'll answer your questions later. However, these two have more urgent business with you two."

Ukitake thanked Isshin, while Unohana merely smiled at him, as Isshin walked back to the clinic, waiving with his hand.

Ichigo watched him leave, wondering, if at all, if the questions he had would be answered by the weird thing that is his father. He looked back to Ukitake and sighed.

"Sorry I haven't been in contact."

Ukitake tossed the bloody cloth away into a waste basket nearby, he sighed.

"Don't worry about it."

"Why are the two of you here, Captain?" Asked Rukia.

"Well, as the two of you already know, both me and Unohana know Isshin; in fact we were all friends back at the Soul Reaper Academy." He finished the sentence with a smile.

Ichigo, still reeling and a little annoyed that his father hadn't let any of this on, didn't smile back. "So that's why you two are here? To catch up?"

Ukitake shook his head he then reached into a sack that was by the door and brought out something white rolled up and along with it a scroll similar to the one Isshin had received from Yamamoto. Ukitake tossed the white roll to Ichigo.

"Here."

Ichigo caught it and undid the straps, the unrolled the bundle to reveal a white, calf-lengthed, haori.

Both Ichigo and Rukia starred at it.

Ichigo looked at Ukitake, confused. "What am I supposed to do with this? This is a Captain's coat, isn't it?"

Ukitake nodded, "Yeah, it is, but more importantly it's yours."

Ichigo dropped the haori and soon quickly retrieved it before it hit the ground.

Rukia looked at both Captains. "Ichigo's been made a Captain?"

Both Ukitake and Unohana nodded.

"And you've been made his Lieutenant, Rukia." Ukitake stated, handing her a scroll of her own.

Rukia starred at her Captain and then at the scroll she was given. She then looked to Ichigo who looked overwhelmed. Ichigo turned over the haori and saw, on its back, the kanji for fourteen.

Ichigo looked up at Ukitake. "I thought there were only thirteen divisions in the Soul Society."

Unohana nodded, "Officially, there are."

Ichigo, still overwhelmed, looked to Rukia, who looked right back at him.

She smiled, "Just breathe…Captain Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked at her for a moment and the returned the smile, "Alright, Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki."

To be continued…

A/N: I know I seem to be apologizing a lot at the end of these chapters, I guess it's just the way I am, heh. I do want to apologize and explain that as there is a lot of unexplained info in this chapter, it will be continued on in the next one. If I forget to, please remind me.

Thanks to all those who've reviewed and keep'em comin.

Q-n-P


	4. The truth and a fight

Chapter Four: The Truth and a Fight

Rukia watched, from a distance as Ichigo, and his father, sat at the kitchen table in the Kurosaki residence, talking. Well, actually, more like shouting, in Ichigo's case, as his voice carried all the way into the living room where Rukia, Ukitake, and Unohana sat, drinking tea.

"Is he always this animate?" Unohana asked looking toward the kitchen.

Rukia nodded, reluctantly smiling. "He's always tried to be the voice of opinion. But this isn't unusual, especially in this house as Ichigo and his father always have had shouting and having mock fighting matches."

Ukitake smiled, "I remember Isshin loved to try to get others to fight him, Byakuya especially."

Rukia looked at Ukitake in surprise. "My brother?"

Ukitake nodded. "I doubt that Byakuya would remember, as it was so long ago and, to him, it's of little importance."

Rukia nodded, knowing fully well that her brother would dismiss anything of insignificance to himself. Her eyes turned back to the kitchen where Ichigo had gotten up from his seat and turned away from his father and leaned forward against the counter.

Isshin looked at his son, patiently as Ichigo went quiet.

Ichigo was pissed. He felt so misled by his father and why? Ichigo turned around and crossed his arms as he narrowly looked down at his father.

"Why did Mom ask you to keep your past, and the fact you can still se spirits, secret?"

Isshin sighed, "She felt it was safer, Ichigo. You may not remember this but the actual first time you saw a spirit being was when you were an infant. The three of us were sitting outside of a restaurant; eating, laughing, just enjoying life. Then, when we least expected it, a pest of a spirit came poking his head out of the table we were eating off of. The damn pest, he just wouldn't stop popping up and down, up and down; it drove your mother and I nuts. You, on the other hand, were looking at him in wonder and were reaching your hands out to try and grab him each and every time he poked his head up. It was like a spiritual game of 'whack-a-mole'." Isshin chuckled.

Ichigo starred at his dad; completely miffed as to how he could have forgotten such a thing. "Why didn't you tell me that story when I began seeing spirits, dad?"

Isshin smiled. "Again, it was the wish of your mother. Before you get hotheaded and start yelling at me, again, let me finish. Only after when Karin and Yuzu were born, and Karin began to see spirits at the age of five; your mother began to get worried." Isshin looked at his son. "When I had first met your mother, she was working as a nurse at a local hospital. I told her everything about me, about the Soul Society, about Soul Reapers…about Hollows."

Ichigo starred at his father as he quickly began to grasp what his mother's fears were, even before his father began, again.

"Your mother was terrified by what I'd told her about what Hollows do to those who have high, concentrated, levels of Spiritual Energy, or were spirits themselves. She told me, after seeing Karin talking to a spirit that was in her room, that she wanted the world I came from to be kept from you three. That maybe, if you three enjoyed life, you wouldn't notice the horrible things, like Hollows, that happen around death. She felt that your lives would be in danger should you learn about me, the Soul Society, Soul Reapers, and Hollows."

Isshin smiled and leaned forward, "Masaki _would _be proud of you, if she were still here, Ichigo. You've protected Yuzu and Karin a number of times, you've helped out so many spirits being hunted by Hollows, and you got together with a good-looking girl." He grinned and pointed a thumb to Rukia who turned red.

Ichigo slammed his fist against the table, "Dammit, Dad! Just when we're having an honest conversation, you pull this crap!"

Isshin grinned all the more just as Ichigo huffed and settled back into his seat.

"Why did you leave the Soul Society?"

Isshin's grin dropped. "Well, I left because a friend of mine was cast out."

Ichigo looked at him, curiously. "A friend?"

Isshin nodded, "I believe you've already met him." He looked at Ichigo and grinned again. "I believe you've gone to his store a number of times."

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "U-Urahara? You were friends with URAHARA!?"

Isshin laughed, "Yup. I tell ya, the guy is one of the funniest people I know. I'm sure he cracks you up too, right?"

Ichigo grumbled. "Yeah…right…"

"When Kiske Urahara got exiled for creating Gigai that was, not only untraceable, but also allowed the user to become human over time; along with Yoruichi, I followed him to the Living World." Isshin then tapped his chest, "The body you see me in, the one I've been in since my leave of the Soul Society, is one of those Gigais that Urahara invented."

Ichigo starred at his father, "So that means…"

Isshin nodded, "Yup, I'm officially a human, son. Been one since before you were born. However, it seems that my Shingami powers are somehow restoring themselves and, at one time, I've been able to go back into my Shihakushou and have my Zanpaktou at my side. I've gone to Urahara's a number of times to address this issue. However, there's nothing he can do for me. Afterwards, Urahara, whose been secretly been still in contact with Yamamoto since he was exiled, told the old man about my powers returning." Isshin then brought out the red scroll that Unohana had given to him earlier. "I've been ordered, as has Unohana here, to turn our clinic into a Soul Reaper-like recovery area for when the fight against Sosuke Aizen and his men begins. Unohana, here, is to send some 4th Division members."

Ichigo nodded. It seemed that all the pieces were falling into their places. But still…

"Dad?"

"Yeah?" Isshin asked.

Ichigo sighed, "If Mom hadn't told you to keep your past secret from us, along with those other things she made you promise to keep; would you have told us?"

Isshin thought for a moment, he then grinned. "Of course not."

Ichigo, once again, got up and then slammed his fists against the table. "WHY THE HELL NOT!?"

Isshin continued to grin, "And miss this price-less expression of sheer outrage on your face?"

Ichigo threw his hands up into the air, "Forget it."

* * *

Ichigo, Rukia, Ukitake, and Unohana all soon left the Kurosaki house and headed to Urahara's shop. Once arriving there, Jinta, Yuzu, and Ururu were all outside; Yuzu was helping Jinta with the sweeping as he and Ururu had gotten into another fight regarding his laziness.

Ichigo froze. He hadn't expected his sister to be there and he knew only coming toward the place would draw attention to himself by Jinta and Ururu seeing him. Besides, he knew Jinta probably would like to harass him.

"I'm going to go the back entrance." Ichigo said, stepping back.

The others turned to him.

"Why?" Asked Ukitake.

Rukia looked on ahead and saw the three teenagers in front of the store.

"I see. Well, I'll go with you, Ichigo as I'm not in a Gigai and I _really _don't want to be getting any crap from Jinta." She looked to Ukitake and Unohana, "We'll meet you in there."

The two Captains, who were in Gigais, nodded and then turned and proceeded forward to the store.

When Ichigo and Rukia came to the front of the store, from the back, they found Unohana talking idly to Yoruichi and Ukitake looking bored as Urahara was talking to him.

There was another person there. Leaning against the doorframe, with a scrutinizing look on his face directed at Urahara, was the Captain of the 10th Division, Toshiro Hitsugaya.

"Why is he here?" she asked, rhetorically.

Ichigo soon noticed him too. He turned to Rukia.

"Who's the troll doll?"

Rukia looked at him in surprise, "You mean, you don't know?"

Ichigo shrugged, "I saw him just before me and the others left you and the Soul Society behind. He's a Captain, isn't he?"

Rukia nodded, "He's Toshiro Hitsugaya. He's the youngest Soul Reaper to achieve has much as he has and so quickly." She looked at Ichigo with absolute seriousness. "He's also extremely fierce. DON'T get him angry."

Ichigo smirked. "No promises."

The two walked forward and met with the others. As they did, Ichigo could swear that the pint-sized Captain Hitsugaya, was watching him closely.

Urahara smiled his usual greeting as he saw Ichigo and Rukia arrive. "Well well, I do believe I'm having déjà vu. Miss Kuchiki, Ichigo, welcome back."

"Hey Ichigo. Rukia." Said Yoruichi, smiling serenely.

"Hi Urahara. Miss Yoruichi." Rukia replied.

Ichigo sighed, "So, why are we here?" Isshin and Ukitake had both said, prior to the four's leaving, that Ichigo needed to meet with Urahara at his shop.

"Always the impatient one." Yoruichi said, shaking her head.

"It's probably his best trait." Urahara said, waiving his fan in front of himself. He looked back to Ichigo, "Before you and I talk, Ichigo, I believe someone else needs to discuss something with you first." He pointed his fan past Ichigo.

Ichigo turned around and saw Hitsugaya walking towards him.

"What do you want?" Ichigo asked.

Hitsugaya's eyes moved from Ichigo to the haori Ichigo had tied and strapped to his back.

"I see you haven't put that on, yet. That's good. You may not be required to wear it after I show how unfitted you are to wear that uniform." Hitsugaya looked squarely at Ichigo with no trace of sarcasm.

Ichigo looked cautiously at Hitsugaya, knowing that the white spiky haired guy was dead serious.

"Why?"

"Orders, but for the most part, I think you being a Captain is a sick joke on the Soul Society's image. You're reckless, Kurosaki, and until I'm satisfied that you're fit to wear that haori honorably; you and I will battle."

All of this was vaguely familiar. It seemed reminiscent of the contest Uryu put Ichigo against to determine who was better, Soul Reapers or Quinceys. Now it was a battle to determine if Ichigo was fit to be Captain.

"Any way out of it?" Ichigo asked.

Hitsugaya smirked, "Hand over that haori." His smirk changed into a frown, "But should you do, I'll kill you; right here, right now, in front of everyone."

Ichigo sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Fine."

"Alright then." Urahara said amusedly, "Gentlemen, if you'll follow me."

Urahara led Ichigo and Hitsugaya, along with the others who followed behind, down the familiar ladder and into the much familiar underground training area that Ichigo had used for several occasions. Once their feet touched the ground, Ichigo and Hitsugaya walked away from the others and came to an area where they spread out and soon turned, facing each other.

Rukia watched both of them, not knowing what the outcome might be. Hitsugaya, as she knew, was a prodigy in his own right. Having gone higher than anyone before him and became Captain much quicker than most, most people in the Soul Society were afraid of him just for his success. Rukia watched Hitsugaya's green eyes flicker and she knew that Ichigo was about to be faced against something he hasn't encountered before.

An opponent who can control an element.

Ichigo took out Zangetsu and lay it on his shoulder blades. Then, in a series of flash steps, he was right next to Hitsugaya and he sliced down at his adversary. However, the blade went through nothing but air, as Hitsugaya was high above Ichigo's head, coming down fast.

Ichigo looked up just as the weight of Hitsugaya's body turned Zangetsu onto its flat side, due to Hitsugaya landing on it.

Hitsugaya landed a series of merciless kicks, punches, and bone-cracking maneuvers at Ichigo's, now, unprotected body, all the while standing on Zangetsu.

Ichigo raised his unoccupied hand to block and defend his body but failed miserably as Hitsugaya's attacks came at a blinding speed. Ichigo realized that he was resorting back into old habits on the account of having been depressed lately. Realizing his folly, Ichigo seized Hitsugaya's leg, he then swung and threw him, like a stone, across the arena.

Hitsugaya landed on his feet and skidded to a halt a mile away from Ichigo.

"Finally." He said. "I was beginning to think you had given up on being a man, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo scowled at him. "I'm no coward. You just caught me at a disadvantage." Ichigo's lips then spread into a mischievous grin. "But that's over now. I'm ready if you are, Captain Hitsugaya."

Hitsugaya continued to grin and both men Shun-po'd at an alarming rate and soon collided with a deafening crash. The battle from here on in became harsher as Ichigo used Zangetsu to block the attacks from Hitsugaya and use his free arm to dish out his own methods on the white-haired Captain.

Hitsugaya suddenly came around Ichigo to his backside and buried his knees into the small of Ichigo's back knocking the wind out of him and forcing him to the ground. Then, Toshiro balanced himself on one hand, spun around, and delivered a devastating kick towards Ichigo's torso as he was getting up. Ichigo was sent sprawling across the training grounds.

Ichigo got up and wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He then disappeared.

Hitsugaya looked from side to side, cautiously, and then jumped as Ichigo's fist came down on where Hitsugaya's head once was. Hitsugaya then threw a punch but, just like Ichigo, caught only air.

Ichigo came from behind and landed a roundhouse kicked across Hitsugaya's face sending him to the ground. Ichigo then grabbed the Captain's collar threw him against the ground at such a force that it caused Hitsugaya to start repeatedly hit the ground and come up and then back down, like a pebble besing skipped across a water's surface; for a good fifteen feet.

Ichigo was panting quite a bit. He had forgotten what it was like to fight a Captain of the Soul Society. It was tiring.

Hitsugaya got up from the ground, his face bruised, dirt tainting his once beautiful white hair, and blood coming down his nose. He turned his head and spit out blood, he wiped his mouth after wards. Glaring at Ichigo, he then took hold of his Zanpaktou.

Ichigo did like wise, bringing Zangetsu back out.

Hitsugaya closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Once he opened them again, he was gone in a flash.

Ichigo found him right in his face, attacking in multiple ways, his footings changing, and his Zanpaktou coming at different angles. Ichigo had to agree with what Rukia had told him earlier; Toshiro Hitsugaya IS fierce.

Parrying and defending himself could only go on for so long, Ichigo knew he had to change tactics.

"Is this all you have, Kurosaki? Kenpachi swears by you, Byakuya is shamed by his loss to you; everyone seems to be impressed by your abilities but me! Where's the guy who managed to elude the Gotei 13 when he stormed the Seireitei? Where's the man who single handedly stopped the Syokouyo from performing its duty? Where is the marvel that managed to save Rukia Kuchiki from annihilation by her own people!"

Ichigo buried Zangetsu's tip into the ground, catching Hitsugaya's Zanpaktou and bringing down as well. Ichigo then backhanded the shocked Hitsugaya and began a melee of strikes and moves that quickly put Hitsugaya off guard. It was only when Ichigo managed to cut Hitsugaya's cheek that Hitsugaya began to move away from Ichigo until he was at a safe distance.

Hitsugaya wiped the blood coming from his cheek onto his finger and looked at it.

"So, emotion, stubbornness, and desire are your keys to winning battles, Kurosaki."

He looked back up as he flicked the blood off of his finger. "But are they all enough?"

Hitsugaya put his Zanpaktou out in front of him and said, "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyōrinmaru!"

Ichigo watched as the hilt of Hitsugaya's Zanpaktou extended with a chain attached to the hilt with a crescent-shaped blade at the end of the chain. The top portion of the blade, however, remained the same.

Ichigo smirked, "So, what does yours do?"

Hitsugaya's eyes shimmered, "I'm glad you asked." He then took a deep swipe at the air and as he did, ice crystals followed the movement of his blade which then grew larger at an alarming rate to create the shape of a dragon. After the tip of Hitsugaya's blade touched the ground, the ice-dragon charged forward towards Ichigo.

Ichigo panicked, seeing the ice creature charging at him.

"What the hell!" He dove out of its way as it brushed by him. Watching it go up in the air, Ichigo found a portion of his Shikaushou frozen from where the dragon touched it.

"So that's what it does." He said to himself. He loked back at Hitsugaya as he took another swipe at the air and unleashed another ice-dragon.

Ichigo, this time, charged at it and brought forth Zangetsu. Ichigo sliced through the dragon all the way to the tip of it's tail which was attached, still, to Hitsugaya's Zanpaktou. Ichigo extended the swipe but Hitsugaya jumped, avoiding it.

To Ichigo's surpirse, Hitsugaya's Zanpaktou went back to it's regular state and he resheathed it.

"I still think you're a tad reckless, Ichigo Kurosaki. However, you do obtain the necessary abilities to Captain a division. I'll inform Captain Yamamoto of my approval."

Ichigo looked at him in dumbfoundedness. "What? Are you serious? Is that it?"

Hitsugaya smirked, "No, not by a longshot. It'll just have to wait, that's all." Then, in a blink of an eye, Hitsugaya was gone.

To be continued…

A/N: Well, what did ya think of the fight? Good? Bad? Boring?

A/N 2: Please Review at the sound of beep. BEEP!

Q-n-P


	5. The beginning of a new life

* * *

Chapter Five: The beginning of a new life

Soon after the testing battle of Hitsugaya's, Urahara told Ichigo, much to his irritation, but none to his surprise, that he would speak with him and Rukia the next day.

Ukitake and Unohana had made their farewells and wishes of good luck to both Rukia and Ichigo before heading off through the portal in Urahara's shop.

Soon after, Ichigo spent the remainder of the late afternoon sitting outside of Urahara's shop, holding the haori that Ukitake had given him, in his hands.

Looking over it, he knew what it meant and what it symbolized as well; the next step in his life. It would mean that he'd be under the instruction of the Soul Society. He would have to be in direct contact with people he'd normally like to avoid like those of Byakuya Kuchiki and Kenpachi Zaraki. He would have to listen and follow direction and be bound by their rules.

_This sucks._ Ichigo thought, putting the haori on his lap and running his fingers through his hair. He sighed and closed his eyes, only opening them when he heard talking coming nearby. Arching his head, he looked over and saw Rukia talking with Ururu who was looking both excitingly and curiously at the Division insignia patch Rukia held in her hand. Rukia, smiling, seemed to be trying to keep up with the questions and enthusiasm coming from the, often meek, teenager.

Ichigo smiled. He knew Rukia was probably getting a kick out of all this, even though she wasn't showing it. From what he had learned from Ukitake's subordinates, Rukia, in the past, had never been able to rise up in the ranks due to her brother's influence. His over protectiveness of her, due to a long promise he made to Rukia's sister, his late wife; made it so that, despite Rukia's accomplishments, she could never go beyond that of her seventh-seating.

Seeing her happy now, or at least in the way she was secretly exhibiting it; Ichigo was, in a way, happy as well.

Rukia's conversation with Ururu seemed to have ended as Ururu was walking away with Tessai, her guardian, and Rukia was walking towards Ichigo. She put her back against the wall and slumped down, closing her eyes once her butt hit the ground; she exhaled, tiredly.

"That has to be the first time I've ever seen you tired." Ichigo remarked, grinning.

Rukia gave him a side, scrutinizing, look, and then closed her eyes, sighing deeply.

Ichigo looked away, listening to the sounds of the world that he, soon, would no longer be apart of. The birds were giving their last song as the day was dwindling off into the evening.

Along with the birds' songs came something else, something that caused both Ichigo and Rukia to get to their feet. A smile swept across Ichigo's face, his eyes were alight with excitement. He looked to Rukia and she looked to him. The two of them nodded.

Ichigo took her hand and Ichigo Shun-po'd them all way to the source of the Hollow.

Rukia, having never mastered Shun-po, felt the experience to be exhilarating as, no sooner had they left Urahara's store, they were now across town standing to the back of a hunched Hollow that was trying to grasp at some Spirits.

Ichigo let go of Rukia's hand as she soon jumped up to a fantastic height.

Folding her arms in front of her, Rukia began the incantation of her Kido.

"Into the void of thoughtless, endless, colors bar yourself in the cage of never ending screams. Bakuru number forty-seven, STAR SCREAMING BLAST!" A wave of electricity and white light erupted all over the Hollow, causing it to writhe and scream out of sheer agony.

The electricity caused a binding that allowed the spirits that the Hollow had been pursuing a chance to hide themselves.

Ichigo smiled. It had been so long since he had seen Rukia use her Kido spells; he had forgotten how intense they could be.

The Hollow soon came out of the electrical bind and turned on the spot, glaring. Wordlessly, it lunged after Rukia, its hands, roughly the size of a tank, dug its claws into the ground as Rukia managed to avoid its attack.

Ichigo wondered if at what point should he step in and do his part. Looking at Rukia's face, though, told him to stay back. She was enjoying herself.

Another swipe of the Hollow came just as Rukia jumped into the air again; Rukia turned her body, missing the claws of the Hollow's just barely, but came to a landing onto the Hollow's arm. Running across it at a fantastic speed, Rukia launched herself upwards and took out her Zanpaktou and dealt the finishing slice across the Hollow's head. The Hollow screeched in horror as its body soon erupted into segments, thus ending its existence.

As Rukia re-sheathed her Zanpaktou, Ichigo came out clapping his hands, smugly.

"I'd give that an eight out of ten."

Rukia smirked at him. "Why? Is it because I didn't spend over an hour just hacking at it, like you do?"

Ichigo, still smirking shook his head, "Nah, that's not it. It's because you didn't say anything witty after you vanquished it."

Rukia smiled and shook her head. "Whatever. By the way…" She turned towards him, still smiling softly. "Thank you for not stepping in there and doing the job all by yourself. I know this would have been over sooner, had you came in. Thank you, Ichigo."

Ichigo shrugged, "I know it's been awhile since you've fought these guys by yourself. Besides, you looked like you were having fun."

Rukia continued her appreciative smile. Behind her the spirits, that had been hiding during the fighting, emerged.

"Thank you for saving us from that terrible thing." Said one.

Rukia smiled, "Think nothing of it."

"Well, then. Shall we Konso the lot of them?" Ichigo grinned.

Rukia smiled, "I think so. Wanna give me a hand?"

Ichigo nodded and with Rukia helped the spirits on with their passing onto the Soul Society.

* * *

As it was becoming night, Ichigo asked Rukia if she didn't mind for them to walk all the way back as opposed to Shun-po-ing there ton Urahara's shop. Rukia obliged.

During this time together, Ichigo asked Rukia what had happened to her all these years since they had left.

Rukia sighed, "Funny, you would think something _would_ have happened since I was back at the Soul Society after a three-month long absence, not to mention having subjected me to such torment and almost executing me. But all that did happen was that that they suspended me and stuck me in a shack out in the middle of nowhere for five long years."

Ichigo looked at her with raised eyebrows, "And?"

Rukia scowled out into the distance. "And, nothing. Nothing happened there. Supposedly there were to be Hollows coming in and out from around that area but there weren't. Basically, I was there to baby-sit some awkward, clumsy, fresh-out-of-the-Academy Shingami who couldn't even hold a Zanpaktou, let alone face a Hollow." Rukia breathed in and out a little.

"Wow." Ichigo commented. "I never would have suspected that they were doing that to you."

Rukia looked at Ichigo, curiously. "Well, what _did_ you think they were having me do?"

Ichigo shrugged, "All I got on from Renji and Ukitake was that you were on some sort of special mission. I figured that you were off in some part of the world, either this one or the spiritual one, digging up dirt on Aizen and the others."

Rukia sighed, "That would have been nice."

Ichigo placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, causing Rukia to blush.

"It's good to have you back, Rukia." He said.

Rukia smiled. "Thank you."

The two continued walking and soon came to the Kurosaki Clinic. Walking past it, all of its lights and the house's turned off, Rukia looked up to Ichigo.

"You never told me what you've been doing these past five years."

Ichigo shrugged, "Not much. Fighting Hollows, struggling with school, trying to get information on you; that's all pretty much it."

"Renji told me that he spent a lot of time with you here." Rukia said, "How was that?"

Ichigo smirked. "Interesting, to say the least." Ichigo then told Rukia all of the misadventures Renji and him had both at school and at Ichigo's home. How Renji became a big pain in the ass when he and Orihime began dating.

Rukia looked at Ichigo in shock. "You and Orihime?"

Ichigo closed his eyes, "Yeah."

Rukia looked away, sighing and then turned back. "How's it going?"

Ichigo shrugged, "You mean how _was_ it going. It stopped a year ago."

Rukia's face scrunched into confusion." Wait, I don't understand. You mean you're not dating Orihime?"

Ichigo shook his head, "Not anymore. We started about a year after we left you and the Soul Society. To be honest, when I look back at it, it wasn't the best thing; Orihime and I never should have gotten into it."

"Why is that?" Rukia asked. Her eyes were hungry for information as they looked on to Ichigo, pleadingly.

Ichigo stopped and sat down at a park bench. The sun set itself in the background casting a similar color to Ichigo's hair across Karakura Town.

"Well," He began, "For one thing, it was all too awkward. Orihime was big on bringing her friends and me everywhere with her. Tatsuki I don't mind, but the others I just can't stand. They're way too bubbly and that Chiziro kept on trying to pick fights with me for some reason. The biggest problem was when Renji and I were assigned with locating a pack of Hollows that took two years to find. At the start of it all, Orihime complained that she never got to see enough of me because of my Soul Reaper duty."

Rukia scowled, "Really, she should know by now what your job is by now."

Ichigo shrugged, "You would think. I think her biggest problem was that it wasn't her that was going along with me, it was someone else. But as soon as it wore on, it was becoming all too clear that I had just lost enthusiasm for the relationship. Tatsuki even cornered me on the subject, accusing me of having someone on the side. Of course, Orihime never accused me of such things but she did ask me if you were on my mind a lot."

Rukia looked away, unsure if she wanted the answer or not.

"The truth is you were, but not in the way she insinuated. In the end of it all, Orihime and I called it quits." Ichigo said, as he got up and stretched.

Rukia, still looking away, had a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes as she said. "I'm sorry, Ichigo."

Ichigo, again, shrugging; said, "She's now with Uryu, so it's all good."

Rukia looked at him with wide eyes. "Uryu? She's with Uryu?!"

Ichigo grinned, "I was even more shocked than that when I first heard it."

Rukia smiled as she got up and followed Ichigo down the street.

They were coming closer and closer to Urahara's shop and all the while Rukia still couldn't get the image out of her head of Ichigo and Orihime as a couple.

_They're not anymore, you know._ Her mind told her. Or was it her heart? Rukia, still, could not understand these things and why it had to be Ichigo that she was having these feelings for?

As she watched him, she saw the overconfident look that she had seen countless times before. The extreme orange hair that brightened his face; which was a contradiction of his, otherwise, moody character. All of this was him and all of it she has noticed before. Then why? Why was she finding herself attracted to him? She remembered having a few crushes at Soul Reaper Academy and those men were very different then that of Ichigo, so why him?

As they continued down the street, the answer hit Rukia like a ton of bricks. She once again looked up at Ichigo.

The answer had been there all along. It wasn't Ichigo so much; it was whom he resembled.

A man that many people in the Soul Society had commented Ichigo had a striking resemblance to; the former Liutenant of the thirteenth division, Kaien Shiba.

Her former mentor, friend, Lieutenant, and her biggest idol. There was so much about him that Rukia wanted to be and there was so much about him that Rukia, ultimately, wanted to be apart of. Rukia felt honored to have known him and his wife and yet she remembered a faint jealousy toward Miyako Shiba; the fact that she was the biggest part of Kaien's life, and not Rukia, stung. Rukia remembered putting aside that jealousy, as time wore on. Only when Kaien, after hearing about Miyako being possessed by a Hollow and going after her, did Rukia feel that same overwhelming sense of jealousy. It would soon be replaced by something more horrible as those events came further into play.

Continuing her walk with Ichigo, a calico cat came running pat the both of them and was soon followed by a large, black, barking dog. Rukia, froze and soon jumped backwards. She soon found herself being caught by Ichigo.

"You're afraid of dogs?" he asked, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Shut up! Don't you mock me, you imbecile!" Rukia scowled, again.

Ichigo looked down and smiled. "The last time I held you like this was before I put you under my arm, on top of the scaffold, remember?"

Rukia looked and she too remembered being held like this by Ichigo. She looked up at him. There on his face was the same smirk that Kaien always gave. So much of Ichigo looked like him, yet there was a lot there that Kaien either never had or more than what was there before. It became more apparent to Rukia about her attraction to Ichigo the more she looked at him. It wasn't so much of his resemblance to Kaien that she was attracted to; it was what Ichigo represented. What he himself had set out to be when he first became a Soul Reaper and in turn what he helped her to become in the process.

His passion…his integrity…his warmth…all of what made Ichigo, Ichigo.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia, confused as to why she was staring at him in such a dazed-like way.

"Uh, Rukia?" He asked. His eyes widened as Rukia reached upward and drew his head down and in for an abrupt kiss.

_Rukia…_ Ichigo thought as confusion and certain emotions came through him from this one kiss.

To him, this was both weird and wonderful. Not that he's ever been kissed before, far from it. It was just…he never suspected…

Ichigo let all of that go as he found this to be something entirely unexpected but more welcoming than he realized. He felt lighter, warm, and…happy.

Ichigo put one arm around Rukia's body and the other to the backside of her head, keeping their connection firm. Soon, the two of them parted and they spent the remainder of the evening by each other's side, finally coming to Urahara's shop later on.

The next day, Urahara rudely awakened Ichigo and Rukia, causing the two of them to slap him upside his head by his own hand-fan.

"Aren't you two a 'match-made-in-heaven'." Urahara said sarcastically as he rubbed the side of his head.

Ichigo and Rukia looked away.

"Anyway," Urahara continued, "I thought that we should begin our way to your new division post, Captain Kurosaki and Lieutenant Kuchiki." Urahara smiled as Ichigo scowled and Rukia nodded.

Along the way, Urahara gave a brief history of the meeting he had with Captain Yamamoto and the job he had given him. Then with the countless hours, preparations, the items needed both from the Living World and from the Soul Society. Finally the man power with Yoruichi, Tessai, Jinta, and Ururu coming in every now and then. By the time Urahara finished they arrived at their destination.

"What the…" Ichigo stated. What he was looking at, what they were looking at, was his old high school.

"Is this some sort of joke of yours, Urahara?" Rukia asked, scowling.

"Come see for yourself." Urahara said, he then tapped his foot three times then paused and then tapped it again four times. Suddenly, beneath his foot appeared a cover with a latch. After he bent down an opened it, it revealed itself to be a opening with a ladder.

Ichigo's eyes widened as he remembered something familiar about all this.

"Is that what I think it is?"

Urahara pointed with his cane down at the shaft. "Shall we?"

Just as Ichigo had predicted, it was just as similar as the one leading to the training grounds underneath Urahara's store, yet this one was more impressive. It spanned nearly fifty miles in all directions. Along with the division's head quarters, there hundreds of houses littering and expanding for miles in the east part. Trees, shrubs, birds, the design to the place was breathtaking.

Urahara beamed in pride as Ichigo and Rukia continued to stare out in wonder and awe.

To both Ichigo and Rukia the place looked just like the divisions at the Soul Society. Urahara led the two to the headquarters and showed Ichigo and Rukia to their respectable living huts and then to their offices. After that, he handed Ichigo a scroll.

"Well, that's the end of the tour. You two take care now and make sure your troops are ready for the upcoming battle we all know is going to happen."

Rukia nodded while Ichigo looked on at the hundreds of living quarters going on endlessly.

"Oh, and Ichigo." Urahara said. "Your family and friends have a special little thing I've given them to allow them entrance to this place, cause I know how lonely you get."

Ichigo turned around to angrily retort but found himself starring at nothing as Urahara was no longer there.

Ichigo sighed and turned to Rukia.

"So." He said.

Rukia nodded. "Are you ready, Captain?"

Ichigo shook his head, "Not in the least." He then smiled and looked at Rukia. "Lieutenant."

She came up to him and squeezed his hand and then left him to head back to the main courtyard of the Division as a loud sound emerged, announcing the arrival of the Division's newest members.

Ichigo sighed as he undid the haori tied around his back and took it off and looked at it, thoughtfully. He then closed his eyes and slipped it on and then followed out to meet Rukia.

A large portal appeared in the far end of the courtyard and Shingami were coming out of it. Each one had of them had a bag of personal belongings along with a black scroll in their hands. All of them looked around in wonder at their new home and some looked to Ichigo and Rukia and began whispering.

Ichigo knew that all that had occurred when he and his friends went to the Soul society to rescue Rukia had been erased from record by Yamamoto and several others, so no one knew of Ichigo or all that had happened at that time, except the Captains and their Lieutenants.

It took a couple of hours but soon the portal closed and all the Shingami came to their knees, respectfully, and sat and awaited instruction.

Rukia looked to Ichigo.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, the 14th Divisions newest, and first, Captain. This is my Lieutenant, Rukia Kuchiki. You who now represent the 14th Division don't exist according to the Soul Society. We are a secret group based in the Living World. Our objective: find clues leading to the defeat of Aizen and his followers. You will work hard, train well, and fight to the finish. Lieutenant?" Ichigo looked to Rukia, who nodded. She looked back to the crowd.

"We will be conducting matches to fill in the seating starting tomorrow. Get rest, you will need it. That is all."

Soon clamour broke out once more and Ichigo and Rukia left and went back to the officers offices. The two went to Ichigo's office and Ichigo soon collapsed behind the desk, into the chair.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Rukia said, smiling, "It wasn't THAT bad."

Ichigo sighed, "It doesn't matter. This is the start of a new life for both of us." He then got up and walked around and held Rukia's hands into his.

"One that I couldn't be doing without you, you know."

Rukia smiled and let go of his hands. "You'll need to behave now, Captain. They need a strong leader. Show them your passion for battle."

Ichigo nodded and followed Rukia out the door.

To be continued…

A/N: I know it's fluff material, but I like fluff material sometimes.

I'm working on the sixth Chapter and it'll be a sort of change from the pov. But, never the less I think you'll enjoy it.

Ciao,

Q-n-P


	6. The 14th Division

A/N: I'd just like to take a quick moment to thank all of those who've reviewed, thank you. This chapter is going to be different as the POV changes from the main characters to

the newly introduced secondary ones (OCs). I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter Six: The 14th Division

Coming Along with the other Shingami, a tall, brunette, stops along with several of the others outside of the portal of the new Division; looking around in wonder.

Michiko Kasuya brushed away her long brown hair from her face as she looked at her new surroundings in awe. There were birds singing, she could hear a water fountain close by, and there were _actual _trees and other plants, not conjured up ones that she usually saw at the Soul Society. Michiko noticed she wasn't the only one gasping and staring in awe as her other fellow Soul Reaper Academy graduates too looked around in marvel and wonder.

To add more to her surprise, there was a breeze here as well, which swept Michiko's long brown hair and brushed it against her face. Michiko took the moment to breathe in the air.

"Michiko! Hey! There you are!"

Michiko turned, smiled, and waived as her best friend in the Soul Reaper Academy, Kijima Morimoto, came running up to her.

Kijima a bubbly short girl, whose face had multiple piercings all over and had long black hair with blonde streaks, grabbed Michiko's arm as she looked around.

"Have you seen this place? It's huge! There are trees here, Michiko! And birds, REAL birds!"

Michiko smiled and nodded at her excited friend.

"It is impressive. Hard to believe that we're no longer in the Soul Society, huh?"

Both of the girls turned and brightened as their other friend came up to them. Kijima looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean, Isao? Where are we then?"

Isao who had dark skin and shoulder length dreadlocks shook his head, causing them to waive a bit. "No, idea, Kijima." He then looked past the two girls and closed his eyes. "But, I believe we're about to find out."

Michiko and Kijima turned around and saw, as did a lot of the other Shingami arrivals, a short woman with dark hair and an arm badge, signifying her as the Lieutenant; walking and positioning herself on the officer's stage in the courtyard.

Michiko looked at her, wondering where she had seen her before, as she looked very familiar.

"Isao," Michiko asked, "Do you know who our Lieutenant is?"

Isao thought for a moment, then shrugged. "She looks familiar but I can't quite place her…"

Kijima also shrugged.

Michiko's eyes went elsewhere as everyone became quiet as another figure walked out onto the stage.

"Wow, would you look at that hair." Kijima whispered into Michiko's ear.

Michiko nodded, as she too was amazed to see a Soul Reaper with such an extravagant orange hair color. More than that, seeing that he was wearing haori, he was the Captain of this Division!

"So that's the Captain." Isao reflected, smirking.

"Know who he is?" Michiko asked.

Again, Isao shook his head. "It's not surprising, though. Everything here, this Division, it's location, it's Captain and Lieutenant, even us; are considered a secret."

The three talked amongst themselves only until the portal closed and everyone lined up in the courtyard, sitting down on his or her knees, awaiting the Captain's message.

Michiko watched as the Captain stood and immediately she felt a strength coming from him.

"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, the 14th Divisions newest, and first, Captain." He said loudly.

_Ichigo? _Michiko thought, _As in strawberry?_ Her lips then formed a smile as she could see after having said his name that the Captain knew there was going to be some problems. However, he didn't comment and he turned to his Lieutenant standing next to him.

"This is my Lieutenant, Rukia Kuchiki."

Rukia gave a short nod, her gaze stern.

It was still driving Michiko nuts as to where she might have seen her before.

Captain Kurosaki continued, "You, who now represent the 14th Division, don't exist. According to the Soul Society, we are a secret group based in the Living World. Our objective: find clues leading to the defeat of Aizen and his followers, those who are responsible for the murders of the original Soul Reaper council."

Everyone started to murmur. Aizen, and those associated with the murders of the original council, left a bleak stain upon the Soul Society.

"You will work hard, train well, and fight to the finish. Lieutenant?" Captain Kurosaki turned to Lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki who nodded and turned back to everyone.

"We will be conducting matches to fill in the remaining seating, starting tomorrow. Get rest, you will need it. That is all."

Michiko's eyes brightened. Those were the words she was hoping for and, to her luck, it was going to happen sooner than she had expected.

Everyone had risen after the Lieutenant had announced and soon after the Captain and the Lieutenant walked away.

Michiko joined Kijima and Isao as they left a conversation with some others.

"There are rumors going around about our "strawberry" captain." Kijima grinned.

"Dare you to call that to his face." Michiko smirked.

Kijima coughed and looked away.

"Thought so." Michiko said.

Isao nodded, "Though, 'Ichigo' can also mean "he who protects". So don't be quick to tease, I'm sure he's not the type to take it and being a Captain will make it harder."

Michiko and Kijima nodded.

"So, I guess our Lieutenant's related to the Captain of the sixth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki." Michiko stated.

"I hear he's really scary." Said Kijima.

Isao shrugged, "A lot of them are, it's to be expected. However, _our _Captain seems to be more relaxed, from what I saw of him just now."

"Lieutenant Kuchiki looks like she's not one to mess around with, though." Michiko said, remembering the stern face.

The three kept on talking about the place, about their Captain and Lieutenant, and about their secret, ominous black scrolls they had received upon graduation informing them of their new Division assignment and the secrecy surrounding it; all until evening rode in and everyone went to his or hers respectable hut.

It amazed Michiko that, whoever made this place, was able to make living accommodations for ALL of the Shingami, seeing as how when she lived at the Academy there were eighteen to a room.

After slipping out her Shihakushou and into her evening kimono, Michiko leaned against the window frame and peered out at the star-scattered sky.

She smiled, thinking, _Tomorrow it all begins. Tomorrow is when I'll be awarded the third seat._

* * *

Ichigo walked around the grounds, his thoughts being so intrusive that he found it difficult to sleep. None to his surprise, he found that he wasn't the only one still up.

"Can't sleep, Captain Kurosaki?"

Ichigo sighed and turned, "Whatever happened to you calling me 'Ichigo', Lieutenant Kuchiki?"

Rukia stood smiling, her arms folded. "Those times are going to be fewer, seeing as how you _are_ a Captain, now."

Ichigo sighed, "I guess so. I'm still going to call you 'Rukia' though, whether you like it or not."

Rukia nodded, "You may, I just can't call you by your first name. You're a Captain now and you've earned the right to be addressed as one."

Ichigo nodded and walked up and took Rukia's hand.

The two of them had discussed prior to having been taken here by Urahara, of the new kind of relationship they would have as Captain and Lieutenant as well as the new one they were developing. Both had expressed their concerns about the mingling of the two, yet neither wanted to end things.

It was then that they agreed upon having nights like these, away from the eyes of the Division, to be their time together; where they wouldn't be Captain and Lieutenant, only Ichigo and Rukia.

The two of them walked back up to their huts, kissing each other inside Rukia's hut before Ichigo went to his and thus calling it a night.

* * *

Michiko awoke the following day feeling refreshed. She, and the other Shingami, all went to the enormous dining hall where they had breakfast. She, like the others, took out her ID card and swiped it through a slot where it lit up. Suddenly, a tray filled with the food she normally eats came out.

After getting her meal, she spotted Kijima and Isao, Kijima waiving wildly at her.

"How was your night?" Michiko asked the two of them, sitting down.

Both commented about how surprised they were being treated to their own hut and even the breakfast they were eating.

Isao smiled, "I'll bet there's a reason to all of this. We are, after all, a secret squad bent on looking for clues and fighting Hollows as much as we can, right? They need us to be well rested and well fed."

Michiko hadn't thought about that, then again there were lots of other things she hadn't considered.

"That guy's been looking at you Michiko, and not in a 'I think you're smoking hot' look." Kijima said, nodding her had past Michiko to a table several rows past them.

The man had short black hair with a purple streak running down the side of his head. He smack nosily as he ate, crumbs ending up in his goatee.

"That's Gonza Takahashi." Said Isao. "You aren't the only one wanting the third seat, Michiko."

"Well, how does he know that I want the third seat?" Michiko asked looking between Isao and Kijima; Kijima blushed.

"Kijima, you didn't…" Michiko groaned.

"Well," Kijima said, "I just was trying to make some friends, that's all."

Michiko sighed. She knew now that Kijima had announced Michiko's plan to be the third seat officer, everyone who also wanted it would now be watching her.

"Great." Michiko mumbled, turning back to her food.

As soon as breakfast had been finished, there were bulletins posted on the boards in the Division's square listing the pairings for the matches.

Michiko rushed past the others and ran her finger down the paper, coming to her name in the middle along with the name of the person she would be fighting.

"Amaterasu Ikinosha, eh?" She thought. She then looked at the time slot and noticed that all the matches were to be conducted in the courtyard at around late morning and ending around mid-evening.

Michiko then ran to the Courtyard to begin preparations.

All the fights had everyone participating, there were none allowed to skip out on the event. Which made sense to Michiko, as she was sure that both the Captain and the Lieutenant wanted to see the strengths of their Division. Besides, after all those fake battles in Soul Reaper Academy, practically everyone wanted to show what they've been holding back.

Once Michiko arrived at the Courtyard, she noticed everyone had sat themselves down as they watched the two fighters in front of them. They weren't the only ones as Captain Kurosaki and Lieutenant Kuchiki also watched over the matches.

Looking at the Captain's face, Michiko had the impression that he looked bored by these fights, while Kuchiki watched the battles, attentively.

Michiko smirked, as she watched the combatants one after another, on how none of these fools seemed to have any power to them. However, she couldn't say that about her friends, Isao and Kijima.

Isao was the next to come up as he fought against a Shingami twice his size.

Michiko smiled, other than herself she knew no one could face against Isao and come out walking. Isao, who never learned his last name, always showed himself off as a quiet, reserved, friendly man. However, all of that was thrown away whenever he was on the sparring matches. There, he was cunning and unmerciful.

It soon showed as Lieutenant Kuchiki called out the their names and the match began.

A wild uprising of spiritual energy showered up above Isao as he clenched his fists, grinning broadly.

"Are you ready for this?" He asked his opponent, who was staring, dumbfoundedly, at him. "Cause it's going to hurt."

Someone calling out from the crowd caused Isao's opponent to look away, he then looked back at Isao, Zanpaktou drawn, charging.

Isao smirked and when his opponent came within two feet of him, he threw out a massive punch that caused his opponent to go flying in the opposite direction and become partially imbedded into a cedar tree, near the huts.

Michiko grinned. _Way ta go, Isao!_ Michiko then looked to the Captain and noticed a smirk of appreciation on his face of this match. Apparently _this_ fight had spurned his interest, as it wasn't the overly long sword fight that he has been seeing all day.

_Wait until you see what I have to show you, Captain Kurosaki._ Michiko smirked, mischievously.

"Winner of the match, Isao!" Lieutenant Kuchiki said loudly. "Take your place in the hall to wait for the next fight."

Isao nodded and flashed a grin at Michiko, who he spotted during the fight, on his way out.

Michiko responded as well with her own grin. Her attention went back to the stage, however, as Kijima was announced.

Kijima looks like a total idiot, acts like it as well, but as a fighter she's in her own class. Her swordplay rivals both Michiko's and Isao's, but what she has what they don't is her hand-to-hand combat style.

Kijima, like Michiko, was raised on the streets of the Rukon District, and everyone who lived on the street knew that fighting was a regular act of survival.

Kijima was raised by her sickly brother, Nin, who taught her how to fight using an unnamed method that had been passed down in their family for generations. Michiko met, and befriended, Kijima shortly after her brother had passed away. But all those years, never once had Kijima forgotten what her brother had taught her and only used it when there was nothing else left.

This was one of those times. The woman she was paired up against was equally masterful with a Zanpaktou and was pushing Kijima to her limits.

It was only when Kijima's Zanpaktou had been knocked clear from her hands that things, then, began to get really ugly.

The sweet face of Kijima's turned violent and scary as she crouched then sprung off the ground and attacked her opponent, yelling in shrills. Kijima grabbed the throat of her opponent and slammed their body backwards against the cemented surface with such force that it cracked it in the process.

Her opponent, coughed up blood and wheezed, uncontrollably; the woman's body shook violently.

Kijima brought her hands together and brought them up above her head, ready to finish off her weakened partner.

"Enough!" Lieutenant Kuchiki called out.

Kijima seemed to snap out of her berserker-like state and she looked toward the Lieutenant.

"You performance was excellent. You may leave and join with the others for the next installment." Kuchiki said to Kijima, nodding.

Kijima looked down at her opponent and blushed.

"Oh, uh, I'm sorry." She said in a low, apologetic, tone. She then turned back, nodded to Lieutenant Kuchiki, and walked away looking a little surprised by the terrified expressions on some of the other Shingamis faces.

Michiko shook her head, smiling. She knew Kijima usually zoned out whenever she went into one of her rampages.

"Next up, Gonza Takahashi and Maikeru Otonu." Lieutenant Kuchiki announced.

Michiko brought her attention back as she looked at the man who had been staring at her during breakfast who, like her, desired nothing else but the coveted Third Seat position.

Maikeru, Gonza's opponent, looked like a child compared to the man as Maikeru was half of Gonza's height. However, from what Michiko could see, Maikeru seemed either not to notice this difference or seemed completely unfazed by it.

The match soon began and both men drew out their Zanpaktous. Neither seemed to move.

"Psst. Hey, haven't those two always hated each other?" Said a voice, behind Michiko.

"Yeah, ever since childhood. Their families are also in a long standing war with each other." Replied another voice.

Michiko braced herself, as she knew this fight was going to be interesting now that she knows a little more about it.

The two men, still watching each other, soon charged at a frightening speed. A loud 'clang'-ing sound came from their Zanpaktous as the men fought both with skill, accuracy, and deadly aims.

To Michiko this was all intense. Both of these guys seemed like masters as their fighting, footwork, and aims were both effortless and flawless. However, it all changed, as Gonza seemed to be putting even more speed into his swings and sliced.

Maikeru, again, looked unaffected as he continued on his defenses with the occasional offence. His attacks upon Gonza were becoming fewer and fewer as he had to redouble his efforts on shielding himself from Gonza's, now, more erratic advances.

Maikeru quickly brought his Zanpaktou up to shield his face as Gonza made another move, only to feel Gonza's blade cut into a little ways through the midsection of his torso.

Maikeru's Zanpaktou immediately fell to the ground, clattering as it met the surface. Blood began to seep out of Maikeru's wound as Gonza, cruelly, took out his blade really slow.

Michiko had never before been in the habit of despising someone so quickly, but now, after seeing the kind of malice shown by Gonza; she had found it. She glared at him as he walked away from his opponent who was clutching at his injured side.

"Winner, Gonza. You may wait inside with the others." Lieutenant Kuchiki said, who either seemed unaffected by what happened or was masking her shock really well.

Gonza nodded and turned back to Maikeru and said something Michiko couldn't hear, Gonza then walked away to the hall were the other winners were waiting.

Michiko's hateful eyes followed him all until the doors closed behind him.

"Amaterasu Ikinosha and Michiko Kasuya, you're up." Kuchiki announced.

As Michiko made her way up, she watched as two Shingami took and carried the bloodied Maikeru away. Michiko, then, turned to her coming opponent who was as tall as she was and had short, cropped, blonde hair with three braided stands coming out from the back side; her eyes were steely blue, yet they were also warm and nice.

"Good luck." She said.

Michiko nodded, "As to you."

Lieutenant Kuchiki then called out the beginning of the match.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia, during lunchtime, talked about some of the men and women who they had watched fighting.

"I've forgotten how brutal you Shingami can get when you're competitive." Ichigo said, slurping his ramen noodles.

Rukia shrugged and continued eating her meal.

"You, know…" Ichigo said, looking upwards, thoughtfully. "Those three that I've seen around together, I think at least one of them are going to make the top seats."

Rukia nodded, "I've seen them as well, but don't forget Takahashi, Delba, and Otonu."

Ichigo nodded. "Did he recover from Gonza's attack, yet?"

Rukia nodded. "We've got really good healing remedies here, almost as good as 4th Division's." She reached over and picked off some salmon skin. "Maikeru should be back on his feet later today to fight."

Ichigo nodded.

He and Rukia, then, continued their meal.

* * *

The second and last matches were held immediately after lunch. During that time, Michiko and the others had little time to talk, most of the Shingami in there were trying to quickly recover from their injuries from the previous match.

During lunch, Michiko spent a little time talking with Amaterasu, the girl she had faced, who wanted to ask her about a particular move Michiko had used on her that caused her to feel incredibly cold, frozen. It was what had won her the match.

Michiko gave a little away about what she had used and soon their conversation had ended once the announcement had been made that the second matches were to begin.

Michiko, along with Isao and Kijima, walked back to the courtyard and went back to their sitting positions; all waiting for Lieutenant Kuchiki to announce the next matches.

Lieutenant Kuchiki stood. "Well done, to everyone. We've been impressed by your skills and abilities. Now, we're going to go by one person. Should that person win, they'll go to their next opponent; should they lose the one who beats them will replace them; they will continue onto their next opponent. We will start with…"

Everyone's eyes were glues to Kuchiki, some looked troubled by the idea of having to go first and fight everyone else to get to the top.

"Hiro Hyguima." She announced.

Going into the long hours into the mid to late evening, the men and women who replaced each other fought hard and continued on until finally being replace by another. By the end of the 180th match, Kijima had managed to come out on top, having defeated nine other combatants.

Lieutenant Kuchiki announced her next opponent.

"Maikeru Otonu!"

Michiko, watching from the side lines, looked worryingly at the poor guy who seemed to have recovered nicely but still had a slight limp walking up to his position.

Michiko hoped that Kijima wouldn't resort to using her unique fighting, but it was a little too hopeful. Twenty minutes into the fight and already Maikeru had the upper hand. He dealt blow after blow against Kijima, proving to be the better swordsman. It was only until when he knocked her down that the tide then changed.

Kijima lunged after him with her usual blinding ferocity.

Maikeru, desperately trying to hold her back using his Zanpaktou, found it useless as she picked him up and threw him against the ground, knocking him out in the process.

Once again, Lieutenant Kuchiki called for her immediate halt, as Kijima was about to try and finish him off.

After Maikeru was once again dragged off the Courtyard, Kuchiki announced Kijima's new opponent.

"Isao!"

Michiko's eyes widened and she turned to see Isao sighing and then getting up and strolling up to Kijima.

Michiko had never before seen her friends face off against one another, so this had to be a first for all of them.

Isao smirked at Kijima as soon as he positioned himself away from her. "Don't expect me to go easy on ya, Kiji."

Kijima took her stance as well, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Show me your stuff!"

Isao took out his Zanpaktou and charged at her with Kijima getting ready to dodge. However, she never got a chance as Isao threw his Zanpaktou past her, causing her to turn her head, while he charged even faster and knocked the wind out of her by delivering a harsh blow to her stomach.

Michiko starred. She was impressed. She knew Isao had a habit of wanting to get things done quickly and with little effort, but never had she seen it done this quickly.

Isao gently handed off Kijima to the Shingami who took her away to medical.

Everyone looked back to Lieutenant Kuchiki who called out the next opponent.

"Gonza Takahashi!" She called.

Again, Michiko furrowed her brow in disgust and hatred as she watched the stern, cool, figure of Gonza walk up to the main area and position himself.

Isao, being Isao, nodded respectfully to Gonza.

Gonza didn't reply.

_Make him bleed, Isao._ Michiko thought, icily.

The battle soon commenced and both men drew out their Zanpaktous.

Isao made his charge against Gonza, with Gonza doing exactly the same thing. With Isao, speed was essential. His family was famous for it, or so he claimed, Isao, still, never having told anyone about his family.

Every part of Isao's body seemed to be on the same wavelength as when one part moved at such a high speed, the other was sure to follow.

Gonza seemed to be an equal match as he followed through with Isao's speeds and blocked, ducked, and parried all of Isao's high speeded attacks at him.

Michiko bit her lip as she watched. Seeing as how Gonza was able to match Isao's speed, she had a really bad feeling as to where this match was going to turn.

Isao grinned broadly as he managed to hit Gonza across the face, splitting his cheek.

Gonza, then, slammed the tip of his Zanpaktou into Isao's foot, ending his smiling.

Isao's face scrunched up as Gonza twisted the blade.

"Feel that?" Gonza asked. "Those are your nerves slowly being severed. You aren't used to things being slow, are you?"

Isao scowled and sliced at Gonza but missed.

"Here," Gonza said, "Let me _speed_ things up for you."

Gonza then, abruptly, forced his sword all the way through Isao's foot. He then checked him across the face with his elbow.

Michiko glared daggers at Gonza, clenching both her teeth and her fists.

Isao was having trouble walking due to the injury, but he still managed to aim and slice through Gonza's arm.

Gonza looked at his arm and then looked down. Spiritual energy rushed through him at an alarming rate. When he looked back up he immediately sliced across at Isao, causing a horizontal wound to open across Isao's chest.

Isao landed on the ground and didn't get back up.

Isao's patented grin showed.

"Nice…" He wheezed.

Gonza re-sheathed his Zanpaktou and got back into starting position as Isao was being carried away.

Michiko watched him leave, a tear coming down her face.

"Our last battle starts now. This match will determine who will become the Third Seat officer and who'll take the Fourth." Lieutenant Kuchiki said, loudly. "Michiko Kasuya, you're up. Good luck."

Michiko turned back; having realized her name had been called. She walked slowly up to the battle area, her eyes taking in every account of Gonza Takahasi. The man she was now planning to kill.

Gonza, whose gaze was elsewhere, shifted slightly as Michiko got into position.

"Ready?" Kuchiki asked.

Michiko nodded as did Gonza.

Michiko, however, stayed put, Gonza as well.

He looked at her with half-opened eyes, smirking.

"Well?"

Michiko sighed, "Question. What did you say to Maikeru after you horrible gutted him?"

Gonza shrugged, "Not that it's any of your concern, but, I told him that our family's squabble were now settled, now that I had bested him. As I will best you now." He drew out his Zanpaktou.

"Alright then." Michiko said. She too took out hers and said loudly, "Fly! Byutifuru Dorima!" Her Zanpaktou flashed and then soon revealed the blade had turned into a large scythe, the handle extended yet the hand guard remaining.

Michiko's Zanpaktou, Byutifuru Dorima, Beautiful Dreamer, had only been shown once, and that was to her friends Isao and Kijima.

Gonza nodded, "I see. Well, then…" He then raised his Zanpaktou and shouted, "Cry! Aijin Soukutsu Tsume!"

Gonza's Zanpaktou changed into an extended meal pole with two long blades on each end.

"This is "Aijin Soukutsu Tsume", the "Haunted Lover's Claw"; she will eviscerate your Zanpaktou." Gonza said, twirling his Zanpaktou behind him and then bringing it out in front and began his charge.

Michiko stood firm, unflinching, and just when Gonza came into her range, she bent down low and pulled upwards with her Zanpaktou, grabbing hold of his and flinging him high into the air.

"Fly, my Beautiful Dreamer! Reach out and catch those that do you most harm in the awakened state!" Michiko then pointed her Zanpaktou at Gonza, brought it back and then shot it forward once more releasing a powerful amount of spiritual energy, shooting straight upward at Gonza.

Gonza twirled his Zanpaktou out in front of himself, grunting as he felt the pressure of the spiritual energy.

Coming back down to the ground, Gonza Pointed his Zanpaktou at the ground.

"That which all makes us whole, that which you have lost; take your vengeance out on those who foolishly wish you harm!" Gonza slammed the tip of his Zanpaktou into the ground, which, then, rumbled and red lines started darting out at Michiko.

Michiko dodged and darted past them as the lines erupted with spiritual energy. She ran right for Gonza, her Zanpaktou held up high.

Gonza brought his Zanpaktou back up and charged at her as well.

Michiko slashed, catching Gonza trough his shoulder as he buried his Zanpaktou into her gut.

"How much farther shall I go, Kasuya?" He smirked.

Michiko smirked right back. "I'm not done yet."

Gonza looked at her curiously.

Michiko grabbed at the end of her Zanpaktou with her free hand, pulling a section separate from the other, and revealed it to be a separate blade.

In one quick motion, Michiko slashed at Gonza's face.

Gonza glowered and put more pressure into Michiko's stomach, blood spurting out in large amounts.

Michiko was beginning to feel dizzy, but with all the hatred she had for this man, no way was she going to let a little thing like his Zanpaktou in her gut, ruin her chance of beating him. She then used the spare blade and dug it into Gonza's hand.

Gonza then retracted his Zanpaktou and stepped back, clutching at his wounded hand.

Michiko fell to one knee as she held the wound of her stomach, which continued to seep.

She could feel faintness coming, it be all over soon. Michiko looked to Gonza who was sweating profusely but looked more energetic than she was right now.

"Getting tired, Kasuya?" He asked, smirking.

Michiko spit out some blood and braced herself as she staggered back up onto her feet.

"Not…by a longshot." She grunted, still holding her bleeding self.

Gonza began charging up his spiritual energy as waives of light blue energy came rushing above him and then outward.

His eyes looked at her, fiendishly. "Prepare yourself." He then made his split-second charge.

Michiko knew she didn't have the strength right now to defend herself nor attack Gonza on her own. However…

Gonza eyes were alive with malice as he brought his Zanpaktou back, ready to bring it forward and skewer his opponent. He then, surprisingly, just as he was a foot from her; watched as she collapsed.

Gonza came to a halt and it was then that he felt the sharp scythe penetrating and running through his chest.

"Grrk…" He felt blood rising up in his throat and then he found the world around him spinning…

Michiko watched as Gonza collapsed, sighing.

"Thank you… Byutifuru Dorima…thank you…" Her eyes then rolled up to the back of her head.

Rukia shook her head in marvel at the fight that she, Ichigo, and the rest of the Shingami had watched. She then stood but halted as she saw Ichigo stand and speak.

"Michiko Kasuya is your Third Seat officer of the 14th Division! Gonza Takahashi is your Fourth Seat officer. The matches are over. Now, you all shall train to become better than what you were when you first set foot here. You WILL become better and your training will be fiercer than the fights you've just participated in."

Rukia looked at him in immense pride. Ichigo looked to her and nodded and she nodded in return, turning back to the Shingami.

"Take these officers and get them healed. Tomorrow is the start of the 14th Division."

To be continued…

A/N: Well, what did you think? Was it worth it to see the scenes through the eyes other than the main characters? Please review and give me your inputs; good and bad comments are welcomed.

Q-n-P


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